10 Times Hip-Hop & Country Stars Blurred Lines With Record-Breaking Collabs

The lines that once separated Hip-Hop and Country have been blurred for decades. Since then, artists from both genres have made hits that brought country rap into the mainstream.

There are a few artists on both sides who've influenced Hick-Hop relations. Country legends like the The Bellamy Brothers, Neal McCoy, Kid Rock and the late Toby Keith introduced fans to the art of talking tunes with classic songs like "Country Rap" and "Hillbilly Rap." Later on, more current artists like Cowboy Troy, Colt Ford, Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line picked up the baton and continued to fuse both worlds together.

While country artists of Georgia continued to thrive, country rap tunes evolved within the Hip-Hop community thanks to rap collectives like UGK, Three 6 Mafia, Geto Boys, OutKast, Nappy Roots, Ludacris and others. Bubba Sparxxx and Timbaland sparked a movement within the country rap scene with his 2001 album Dark Days, Bright Nights featuring the stand-out single "Ugly." Since then, multifaceted artists like Nelly, Breland, Jelly Roll and even Beyoncé have blended Hip-Hop and Country together to make some incredible music together that both their fanbases will appreciate.

Check out 10 iconic collaborations between Country and Hip-Hop artists below.

Nelly featuring Tim McGraw "Over And Over" (2004)

Nelly is no stranger to the Country scene. In fact, some fans might argue the St. Louis native was the first artist to help bridge the gap between Rap and Country with his hit song “Over and Over” featuring Tim McGraw. Nelly released the emotional collaboration with McGraw back in 2004 as the second single for his Suit album. Both artists received plenty of praise for their smooth vocal performance over the catchy instrumental that blends their respective genres together. The song went on to top the charts, and set the standard for cross-overs in Hip-Hop and Country.


Snoop Dogg featuring Willie Nelson "Superman" (2008)

Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson on the same song may have been a true stoner’s dream before they actually collaborated for the first time in 2008. Snoop and the Country legend joined forces on “My Medicine” with Everlast as a part of the Long Beach rapper’s ninth studio album Ego Trippin’. With Whitey Ford on the guitar and Young Trev on the drums, Snoop and Willie sing their catchy tune together as they jam out with lyrics about their special “medication.” Their collaboration truly was an iconic moment in Hip-Hop and Country relations.


Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly “Cruise” (2012)

Florida Georgia Line skyrocketed when they released “Cruise,” their smash-hit single that got a remix with Nelly and became a “record-breaking” hit. The duo — made up of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, who announced in early 2022 that they were “taking a break” from FGL to pursue solo projects — went on to release many other unforgettable anthems over the years, landing them in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum with an exhibit that opened in February 2022 and remained open through January 1, 2023. “Cruise” was one of several times Nelly has crossed genre boundaries into country, including with his early 2000s collaboration with Tim McGraw. Nelly and Hubbard later reunited on the collab, “Country Boy Do,” and Kelley teamed up with Flo Rida on “Feels Right (I Love It).”


Beyoncé featuring The Chicks “Daddy Lessons” (2016)

Act II isn’t Beyoncé's first foray in Country. Back in 2016, the Houston native released her first Country song “Daddy Lessons” as a part of her Lemonade album. The ode to fathers who raised their girls to be tough allows Bey to flaunt her soulful vocals over a harmonious collective of banjos, harmonicas, acoustic guitars and drums. Shortly after the album dropped, she teamed up with The Chicks for an incredible remix that helped make the song a classic. Despite its western appeal, “Daddy Lessons” was met with mixed reactions. The song landed on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts, but it wasn’t completely embraced by the Country community. It was rejected by the Recording Academy when it was submitted for consideration in the Country categories. Beyoncé and The Chicks also received backlash for performing the song at the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards. As Beyoncé revives her country era, the BeyHive continues to recognize the impact “Daddy Lessons” had on Americana-country music.


Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus "Old Town Road" (2018)

Lil Nas X’s breakthrough hit “Old Town Road” in the music industry made a lasting impression no one will forget. The then-rising artist had already achieved viral fame and hit the top of the charts by the time his infectious country trap record reached Billy Ray Cyrus’ ears. Once the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer hopped on the remix, their groundbreaking collaboration instantly dominated the Billboard Hot 100, Hip-Hop/R&B and Country charts simultaneously. “Old Town Road” went on to be nominated for Record of the Year and several other categories at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Lil Nas X went home with the awards for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video. He also performed the song at the awards show alongside Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo, BTS and Mason Ramsey. Less than a year after its release, “Old Town Road” reached Diamond status in record time. As of 2022, the song is 17x platinum.


Kane Brown featuring Swae Lee & Khalid “Be Like That” (2020)

Kane Brown, a megastar in the country music industry known for his genre-blending hits, teamed up with Swae Lee and Khalid in their smash-hit single “Be Like That” in 2020. The trio’s hit appeared on Brown’s Mixtape Vol. 1 EP. Brown reunited with Khalid, who made a surprise appearance, at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival in September in Las Vegas, Nevada. The highlight moment made for an epic finale to Brown’s set that night.


Nelly, Breland & Blanco Brown “High Horse” (2021)

Nelly, Breland and Blanco Brown joined forces as an expert team of genre-blending artists to deliver a high-energy collaboration, “High Horse,” in 2021. The Nelly track mixed elements of pop and country — including with a specific shout-out to a honky tonk on Lower Broadway in Downtown Nashville, Tennessee — for a dance-worthy anthem: “Get up off of that high horse (yeah)/ Get up off of this train (train)/ Get up off of that high horse/ And drop that thing on me/ Get up off of that high horse (yeah)/ Get up off of this train (train)/ Get up off of that high horse/ And drop that thing on me.”

WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

Brantley Gilbert featuring Jelly Roll “Son Of The Dirty South” (2022)

Jelly Roll — known for bending boundary lines with elements of hip-hop, rap, rock, country and more in his powerful music — joined forces with Brantley Gilbert on “Son Of The Dirty South.” Jelly hailed it “the anthem for the summer” when the duo dropped it in June 2022, which they first teased during a live performance shortly before its release. The track made its debut ahead of Gilbert’s 12-track album, So Help Me God, which expanded with a deluxe edition last year. It’s one of several collaborations from Jelly Roll that incorporates elements of several musical genres and appeals to a broad range of listeners.



Lil Durk featuring Morgan Wallen "Broadway Girls" (2022)

Lil Durk and Morgan Wallen are the duo no one saw coming, but can’t get enough of. The two made history together with their first collaboration “Broadway Girls.” Wallen adds just the right amount of twang to the trap-based record, which is inspired by wild night out on Broadway Street in Nashville. The music video shows Durk and Wallen partying with a crowd of women at Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop bar. The song topped Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Wallen became the fourth Country artist to achieve this feat. Lil Durk and Morgan have created more songs together like “Stand by Me” off Durk’s Almosted Healed album. During the 66th Grammy Awards, the Chicago rapper said he and Wallen have a joint album on the way.


Russell Dickerson featuring Flo Rida “Beauty and the Beach” (2023)

Russell Dickerson revamped one of his previously-released, electrifying summertime anthems to include rapper and singer-songwriter Flo Rida in July 2023. The Tennessee-born country-pop hitmaker delivered the genre-blending version on his 5-track EP, Three Months Two Streets Down. He said in an interview with iHeartCountry around that time, of his musical style: “I just feel like that’s my personality. I don’t take things too seriously. I just always try to stay positive and find the best in life, the best in people, the best in any day scenario. …I just wanted to continue the RD party vibe of not taking life too seriously. There’s already enough negativity in this world…It’s like, ‘hey, it’s all good. It’s all gonna be OK.’”