30 Rap Songs Written By Other Hip-Hop Artists

Diddy famously stated that he “doesn’t write raps” but that he writes checks. The witty line may have sounded like another attempt at bragging but in reality, it was more of a confession. With those words, the rapper admitted to having multiple ghostwriters help him pen his hit records.

In this article, we will highlight 30 popular rap songs that have allegedly been penned by someone other than the mentioned rapper. Let’s get down to business.

1. “10 Bands”

Meek Mill is probably reading this article with a smile on his face knowing that he is the one who exposed Toronto’s 6 God for having a ghostwriter. The revelation soon escalated into a full-blown beef that resulted in a slew of diss tracks. Dj Funk Master Flex would then go on to play a reference version of “10 Bands” written by Quentin Miller.

2. “I’ll Be Missing You”

Sauce Money has admitted to being the ghostwriter behind the chart-topping single inspired by the death of Notorious B.I.G. The track is an ode to one of hip-hop’s most prolific fallen soldiers and still gets played at funerals and memorials today.

3. “Still D.R.E.”

Dr. Dre might be a stand out producer capable of making hit records but he has publicly admitted to needing a little help when it’s time to put down the lyrics. A great example of this is his hit song “Still D.R.E.” that was written by rapper Jay-Z.

4. “Gold Digger”

While he may be now known for being married to a Kardashian and ranting on social media, Kanye West is still one of hip-hop’s most prolific contributors. His Grammy-winning single “Gold Digger” as well as other album cuts such as “Champion” are known to have been written by frequent collaborator Consequence.

5. “Boyz-n-the-Hood”

2015’s “Straight Outta Compton” is a great embodiment of how a bunch of kids from the crack-ridden streets of L.A turned their passions into successful rap careers. In the movie, Ice Cube is shown helping Eazy-E write the “Boyz-n-the-Hood” hit. That scene alone is an ode to the often forgotten ghostwriters in hip-hop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDQoF6GyXas

6. “Jump”

I can personally attest to playing out my cassette tapes while blasting this huge hit in my mom’s living room. What I never knew was that Jermaine Dupri was one of the ghostwriters.

7. “Crush On You”

Before Nicki Minaj and Cardi B were flaunting their bodies on the screen hip-hop had another seductress, Foxy Brown. Her raunchy single “Crush On You” was actually written by Jay-Z.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDoQ2wGT6-k

8. “Bodak Yellow”

Did you know that Cardi B’s breakout single was partially penned by a ghostwriter? The internet was set ablaze when Pardison Fontaine released a reference track of what would later become a Billboard top 100 smash.

9. “Work”

Australian native Iggy Azalea blew up in the summer of 2013 with her debut album containing singles such as “Fancy” and the “No Mediocre” hit. However, it has become apparent that rappers such as Skeme were more than just involved in the penmanship of the Grammy-award-winning body of work.

10. “Gettin’ Jiggy wit It”

Will Smith had quite a successful rap career before Hollywood discovered his other talents. His sit single “Gettin’ Jiggy wit It” was partially written by hip-hop icon Nas.

11. “Jesus Walks”

Before he proclaimed himself Yeezus and started running around like a lunatic, Kanye West was a small time producer that nobody had ever heard of. This all changed when Rhymefest wrote the banger “Jesus Walks” for him.

12. “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang”

It seems as though Dr. Dre has always had a ghostwriter in his corner! In this instance, his childhood friend The D.O.C helped him create the “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” bagger. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F0CAEoF4XM

13. “Queen Bee”

Before Beyonce’s “hive” had even been formed, hip-hop had proclaimed Lil Kim the real Queen Bee. Her single with a similar title was however written by the late Notorious B.I.G.

14. “Welcome Back”

Mase may have taken over the world with his comeback single but a lesser-known rapper actually penned the song. His name is Kanye West in case you might have heard of him.

15. “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”

Old Dirty Bastard was best known for being the wild man of the Wu-Tang Clan. He would also release a solo album that contained the uber-successful single “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” which was partially written by GZA.

16. “We Fly High”

Jim Jones’ biggest song to date was actually written by his close associate Max B. The issue lead to multiple diss records! We fully anticipate Max B to claim his due credit when he gets released from the joint.

17. “I Wanna Rock”

Snoop Dogg is everybody’s uncle, and he clearly isn’t scared to admit that some of the material on his 2009 album was written by his proteges. For instance, the “I Wanna Rock” hit single was ghostwritten by rapper Problem.

18. “Black and Yellow”

Your favorite pothead Wiz Khalifa blew up thanks to this gem. The ode to his hometown of Pittsburg was co-written by rapper Chevy Woods.

19. “23”

Remember when Hannah Montana discovered weed and started acting like a wild girl? Her verse on the smash single “23” was actually written by rapper Eaarz of the Eardrummerz outfit.

20. “Cherchez La Ghost”

Ghost Face Killah is yet another member of the Wu-Tang Clan to have employed a guest writer for his solo album. In this case, it’s the single “Cherchez La Ghost” which was written by Method Man.

21. “Paul Revere”

The Beastie Boys highly acclaimed album Licensed to Ill is no doubt a hip-hop classic. The single “Paul Revere” was co-written by Run-D.M.C.

22. “Chick On The Side”

Salt-N-Pepa had a little help when crafting their 1986 album. A great example is the track “Chick On The Side” which was developed with the help of Kool G Rap.

23. “Buggin'”

One of my favorite childhood movies, Spacejam, had an amazing soundtrack. The song “Buggin'” was performed by Bugs Bunny and written by Jay-Z.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4kgRw3ZamY

24. “Got It All”

Eve, the frontwoman for the Ruff Ryders, has admitted that she had a little help when penning her 2000 album. One of the ghostwriters is battle rapper Cassidy who admitted to helping out on the “Got It All” track.

25. “The Future”

Diddy released an album in 2006 that was clearly the work of a host of ghostwriters. The song “The Future” was written by Pharaoh Monch.

26. “Know Yourself”

It seems as though Drake can’t catch a break. It is alleged that Quentin Miller was also the brains behind the track “Know Yourself” off his mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.

27. “Coming Home”

J. Cole recorded a song in 2008 and presented it to Diddy not knowing that the mogul had other plans for the hooks and verses. A year later Diddy-Dirty Money released the “Coming Home” track.

28. “Rapper’s Delight”

Did you know that Grandmaster Flash was one of the major contributors toward Sugar Hill Gang’s biggest song to date?

29. “Kingston”

Sean Kingston has admitted that rapper Smoke Dza was responsible for helping put together the single “Kingston” on his self-titled debut.

30. “Loyal”

Chris Brown isn’t worried about having a ghostwriter. He has admitted that Ty Dolla Sign wrote his verses on the “Loyal” track.

Do you know of any other hip-hop songs written by someone else other than the mentioned artist? Please share your stories with us and we’ll be sure to include them in our next article.