Words: Dylan Murphy
Rejjie Snow’s Baw Baw Black Sheep is a record that invited a host of close collaborators and following its release we’ve flipped the script and examined the Dublin rapper’s best guest features.
Collaboration has always been at the very soul of hip hop. Whether it’s seminal groups like A Tribe Called Quest or icons like Kanye and Jay-Z joining forces for joint albums, sharp verses are a social currency in the genre and trading bars with others ensured hip hop’s economy has grown into a global powerhouse.
Across his official releases, Dublin’s Rejjie Snow has showcased a deep love for collaboration. Whether that’s through the consistent presence of Cam O’bi in his latest full length album or his buttery smooth working relationship with Kaytranda in the past five years, the rapper and singer has a knack for finding the acts that bring out the best in him.
Following the release of his second studio album Baw Baw Black Sheep we decided to flip the script and look at the features he has provided for other acts.
In no particular order, here’s five of Rejjie Snow’s best guest verses.
alt-J called on some of the world’s most innovative hip hop artists to breathe new life into their album RELAXER. Featuring Pusha T, Little Simz and more, the remix album REDUXER sees their trademark style warped and twisted in imaginative ways and Rejjie closed out the project with a feature that is equally deadpan and hypnotic.
While poorly executed sequels for classic movies would tell you some things are better left untouched, Jamie Isaac’s remix of his track Last Drip’ hits the sweet spot. Having already established a world within the song, Rejjie’s decision to not rock the boat too much in his verse provides a complementary layer to its psychedelic soundscape. Kind of like downloading a side quest DCL for your favourite video game.
Clairo’s ‘Hello?’ feels like eavesdropping on a relationship in the internet era. While the buzzing instrumental could be mistaken for the Atlanta singer loading up her dial-up connection, Rejjie’s verse sounds like it’s being sent from a payphone and the conversational style of the track has it evoking chatroom break-up energy.
While Yellow Days is lamenting his own demise in paranoid fashion on ‘Lately I‘, Snow instead surrenders to the chaos, landing his words like a coffin slowly lowering into the earth.
A throwback to his early more lo-fi inspired sound, Rejjie’s rickety flow on ‘Tides’ highlights his penchant for left of field sounds. Taking the baton from Jesse James before laying down his verse, it’s a more aggressive delivery that’s unlikely to be found amongst the jazzier worlds of Dear Annie and Baw Baw Black Sheep.