The Weeknd is arguably the best thing that ever happened to modern R&B, with his influence expanding to other genres, like hip hop. We’ve seen the Ethiopian/Canadian born singer lend his falsetto voice and exceptional song- writing skills to a number of hip hop artists, making songs appreciated by many. In no particular order, here’s the top 4 of my favourite collaborations:
1. Crew Love
Taken from his 2nd album, Drake collaborated with The Weeknd and the result was a song that turned out to be an anthem on the streets. Although he had already released three mixtapes, The Weeknd was unknown to many till he featured on Crew Love.
2. Gifted
French Montana and The Weeknd are ‘gifted’. Well, the statement may be debatable when we talk of the former, but there cannot be any gain saying when it comes to the latter. This is one of the hottest tracks on the Moroccan born rapper’s debut album, Excuse My French, with The Weeknd opening with a long, uninterrupted verse that stirs the soul intensely. He also sings a catchy hook that engrosses the listener.
3. One of Those Nights
The king of ratchet rap, Juicy J, made a wise choice by featuring Abel Tesfaye on this track. One of Those Nights may as well be Tesfaye’s track, because he does way more work than the Three 6 Mafia man. It is the kind of collaboration no one saw coming, but it worked out surprisingly well.
4. Remember You
Let’s call a spade a spade – The Weeknd outshined Wiz Khalifa on his own track. I guess that’s the curse that comes with the blessing of featuring a fine vocalist as Tesfaye on your track. The first time I heard the track, I thought it was The Weeknd feat Wiz Khalifa, only to be surprised when it dawned on me that it was actually the other way round.
This is only the beginning for The Weeknd. He’s still far from the zenith of his career, but he has already made hits with big names in the industry. I think we can expect more and more artists collaborating with him.
Text: Moza