Best Rap Duos of All Time: 15 Hip-Hop Duos, From OutKast to Run the Jewels
The 15 best rap duos of all time, from Eric B. & Rakim and OutKast to Clipse and Run the Jewels: who they are, where they came from, and the record to start with.
airapvideo Team
The short answer: OutKast is the usual pick for the best rap duo of all time, with Eric B. & Rakim, Mobb Deep, Gang Starr, UGK, Clipse and Run the Jewels close behind. What they share is contrast: two different voices, or a rapper and a producer, that sound better together than either does alone.
The list below covers 15 duos across four decades. Each entry has a record to start with.
Who are the best rap duos of all time?
| # | Duo | Members | From | Start with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OutKast | André 3000, Big Boi | Atlanta | Aquemini (1998) |
| 2 | Eric B. & Rakim | Eric B., Rakim | Long Island, NY | Paid in Full (1987) |
| 3 | Mobb Deep | Prodigy, Havoc | Queensbridge, NY | The Infamous (1995) |
| 4 | Gang Starr | Guru, DJ Premier | Boston / Houston, based in NY | Moment of Truth (1998) |
| 5 | UGK | Bun B, Pimp C | Port Arthur, TX | Ridin' Dirty (1996) |
| 6 | Run the Jewels | El-P, Killer Mike | New York / Atlanta | Run the Jewels 2 (2014) |
| 7 | Clipse | Pusha T, Malice | Virginia | Hell Hath No Fury (2006) |
| 8 | EPMD | Erick Sermon, Parrish Smith | Long Island, NY | Strictly Business (1988) |
| 9 | Black Star | Mos Def, Talib Kweli | Brooklyn, NY | Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998) |
| 10 | Pete Rock & CL Smooth | Pete Rock, CL Smooth | Mount Vernon, NY | Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992) |
| 11 | Method Man & Redman | Method Man, Redman | Staten Island / Newark | Blackout! (1999) |
| 12 | DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince | Jeff Townes, Will Smith | Philadelphia | He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (1988) |
| 13 | 8Ball & MJG | 8Ball, MJG | Memphis | On Top of the World (1995) |
| 14 | Kids See Ghosts | Kanye West, Kid Cudi | Chicago / Cleveland | Kids See Ghosts (2018) |
| 15 | Rae Sremmurd | Swae Lee, Slim Jxmmi | Tupelo, MS | SremmLife 2 (2016) |
Why are these the greatest hip-hop duos?
OutKast. Two voices that could not be more different: André's left turns and Big Boi's precision. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won the Grammy for Album of the Year, still a rare feat for a rap record.
Eric B. & Rakim. Rakim's calm, internal-rhyme style changed what rapping could sound like. Most rappers who came after owe him something.
Mobb Deep. Prodigy's verses and Havoc's dark, minimal beats defined a whole mood of New York rap in the mid-90s.
Gang Starr. The template for the rapper-producer duo: Guru's steady voice over DJ Premier's chopped samples and scratched hooks.
UGK. The duo that put Texas on the map. Pimp C's production and Bun B's verses made Southern rap impossible to ignore.
Run the Jewels. Proof that a duo can start late. El-P and Killer Mike were both veterans when they teamed up, and the chemistry was instant.
Clipse. Two brothers, cold delivery, and Neptunes production that still sounds futuristic.
EPMD. Laid-back delivery and funk samples. Their name is short for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars".
Black Star. Their 1998 debut is a conscious-rap landmark that still gets passed on; a second album, No Fear of Time, followed in 2022.
Pete Rock & CL Smooth. "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" alone would earn them a place.
Method Man & Redman. The funniest pairing on the list, on record and on screen.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Won the first Grammy ever given for a rap performance, for "Parents Just Don't Understand".
8Ball & MJG. Memphis storytelling with a smooth, soulful sound.
Kids See Ghosts. A short album that hit hard, and a rare collaboration that sounds like a real group.
Rae Sremmurd. Two brothers who made "Black Beatles" one of the biggest songs of 2016.
What makes a great rap duo
- Contrast. Two styles that are clearly different: loud and calm, playful and serious.
- Chemistry. Back-and-forth verses, finished sentences, shared hooks.
- One sound. Whether it is a shared producer or a shared city, the best duos sound like a unit.
How can I make a rap duo video with a friend?
You do not need a record deal to try it. On airapvideo, you upload one photo of you and one of a friend, and the AI renders the two of you rapping together on one stage: a 10-second vertical video with a built-in beat and vocals, ready in about 3 to 5 minutes. The left side leads the verse, the right side hypes, just like the classic duos.
Make your duo video, or browse rap songs about friends for inspiration.
airapvideo at a glance
- What it is
- airapvideo (ai-rap-video.me) is a browser-based AI rap video generator that turns two photos into a rap video of both people.
- Input
- One photo of each of two people (JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 10 MB). Pets work too.
- Output
- A 10-second vertical 9:16 MP4 with a built-in hip-hop beat, rap vocals and lip sync, without a watermark.
- Time
- About 3 to 5 minutes per video.
- Price
- $9.90 for 1 video, $19.90 for 3, $29.90 for 5. One-time packs, no subscription required.
- Account
- Not required to start; email is optional.
- Failed renders
- Credits are refunded automatically.
- Limits
- No custom song, lyrics or prompt: the rap performance is built in, and music and lip sync vary between renders.
FAQ
- Who is the best rap duo of all time?
- OutKast is the most common answer: two distinct voices, a run of classic albums and the Grammy for Album of the Year for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Eric B. & Rakim, Mobb Deep and Run the Jewels are also frequent picks.
- What makes a great rap duo?
- Contrast and chemistry. The best duos have two clearly different styles that still finish each other's verses, or a rapper and producer who share one sound.
- Can I make a rap duo video with a friend?
- Yes. On airapvideo you upload one photo of you and one of a friend, and the AI renders both of you rapping together on one stage in a 10-second vertical video.