Rumor has it that Drake and Taylor Swift have been in the studio cooking up some tunes, with E! News quoting an inside source that says the two have been working on some new music that is “different” but “very catchy.”
No word on when or where these rumored collaborations would land, but given the status of Taylor’s current relationship with Kanye West, it’s unlikely they’ll appear on Drizzy and ‘Ye’s joint album.
And for anyone who thinks there’s no way these two would work together, remember that T-Swift has collaborated with rap royalty before. Remember “Bad Blood” with Kendrick Lamar?
And it’s definitely not the first time a rapper would have made a successful song with a pop star (although Drake is sort of a pop star himself, no?).
Here are some of our favorite rapper/pop star collabs. How would a Drake/Taylor record stack up?
Katy Perry f. Juicy J “Dark Horse”
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Position: 1
YouTube Views: 1.6 billion
This cut from Katy Perry’s 2013 Prism album had the singer boasting that she was gonna go back to the trap house after the video reached 1 billion views. Azealia Banks did not like that comment.
Katy Perry f. Snoop Dogg “California Gurls”
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Position: 1
YouTube Views: 327 million
Katy Perry made a splash into the mainstream with her 2010 cut “California Gurls” with a major co-sign from Snoop Dogg. The song was nominated for Best Collaboration at the Grammys and helped boost Perry into superstardom.
Taylor Swift f. Kendrick Lamar “Bad Blood”
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Position: 1
YouTube Views: 973 million
Taylor Swift has been a vocal fan of rap and told the world to leave her alone while she listened to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly when it dropped. Her wishes came true when Compton’s hero appeared on the official remix for her “Bad Blood” song. The collaboration won Best Music Video at the Grammys.
B.o.B f. Taylor Swift “Both of Us”
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Position: 18
YouTube Views: 43 million
Taylor Swift got another co-sign from her favorite music genre when B.o.B enlisted her for this track off his 2012 LP Strange Clouds. Bobby Ray himself likes to defy labels, so the folksy song seemed effortless. That same project also had features from Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Morgan Freeman … pretty EPIC.
B.o.B f. Hayley Williams “Airplanes”
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Position: 2
YouTube Views: 348 million
After a come-up in the underground Atlanta rap scene, this is the song that put B.o.B on the map. Since the 2010 hit, he has definitely carved his own lane. You have to salute the music even if you don’t agree with his theory that the world is flat.
Eve f. Gwen Stefani “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Position: 2
YouTube Views: 53 million
Girl power! Along with a Scott Storch beat, these two Femmes Fatales took the nation by storm with “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” a cut from Eve’s 2001 Scorpion album. Gwen and Eve teamed up again for “Rich Girl,” which appeared on the Orange County queen’s Love.Angel.Music.Baby. album in 2004.
Selena Gomez f. A$AP Rocky “Good For You”
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Position: 5
YouTube Views: 28 million
Selena Gomez continues to mature before a national audience and enlisted A$AP Rocky for “Good For You,” a cut off her Revival LP, which dropped this year.
Ariana Grande f. Nicki Minaj “Side to Side”
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Position: 7
YouTube Views: 300 million
Ariana Grande has many connections to the Hip __hop world and it goes beyond music as she’s dated her collaborators Big Sean and now Mac Miller. But her biggest rap-infused song was “Side to Side” with Nicki Minaj. (That’s not counting “Problem” with Iggy Azalea, which peaked at #2 … but we know how you feel about Iggy).
Nelly f. Tim McGraw “Over and Over”
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Position: 3
YouTube Views: 65.4 million
This collaboration caused a lot of people to scratch their heads back in 2009, but fans ate up the track from the unlikely duo. Nelly dipped into the country world again earlier this year when he remixed Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise.” He’s possibly working on a collaborative mixtape with the duo now too.
Dr. Dre f. Eminem and Skylar Grey “I Need a Doctor”
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Position: 4
YouTube Views: 263 million
Dr. Dre made a huge statement with this 2011 cut that came at a time when he had been quiet with his music and the world was still awaiting the now-dead Detox. “I Need a Doctor” also introduced the world to the wonderful Skylar Grey who just released an album with her own Eminem feature.
