Heds & Dreds: Six Rap Tracks Featuring Sizzla

Words by Jesse Serwer—

Mavado’s appearance on Rick Ross’ latest, Mastermind, is hardly surprising. Now based primarily in Florida, the Gully Gad is signed to Ross affiliate DJ Khaled’s We The Best stable, a partnership that has already led to ‘Vado’s appearances on tracks by French Montana and Ace Hood. Sizzla’s appearance on the same tune, “Mafia Music III,” on the other hand, is a little more noteworthy. Kalonji, who’s been sampled on numerous rap tracks over the years, including “Crown” from Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, has collaborated with a small handful of rappers during his 20-year career, but it’s been a few years since we’ve heard this side of the firebrand singjay. Scroll through for a full list of his notable rap link-ups.

Foxy Brown feat. Sizzla – “Come Fly With Me” (2005)
An ubiquitous record in New York City during the summer of 2005, “Come Fly With Me” was slated to appear on Foxy’s album Black Roses, which was never released.

Juelz Santana feat. Cam’Ron and Sizzla — “Shottas” (2005)
If you were a New York rapper making an album in 2005 you had to have a reggae track: “Shottas” was the one on Dip Set member Juelz Santana’s solo debut, What The Game’s Been Missing. Released as a B-side to his better known “Oh Yes,” “Shottas” nevertheless received its own video with a rare in-the-flesh cameo from Kalonji himself. The track was produced by The Heatmakerz, who also sampled Sizzla’s “Woman I Need You” for Cam’Ron and Juelz’s “More Gangsta Music” a year earlier.

K-Salaam and Beatnick feat. Sizzla + Mos Def, “Victory” (2006)
Producers K-Salaam and Beatnick’s 2006 album The World Is Ours featured a mix of reggae artists (Capleton, Luciano) and rappers (Dead Prez, Saigon), including a few interesting collaborations. Among these is this little-known, and quite good, meeting of the minds pairing reggae and hip-hop’s respective conscious kings.

Talib Kweli feat. Sizzla —”Hostile Gospel Pt. 2 (Deliver Me)” (2007)
Not to be outdone by his Black Star cohort, Brooklyn’s other conscious rap king scored his own Sizzla cameo on “Hostile Gospel Pt. 2 (Deliver Me).” The track, included on the 2007 album Eardrum, sampled “Tight Rope” by reggae greats Steel Pulse.

K-Salaam and Beatnick feat. Sizzla and Young Buck – “Babylon” (2008) Self released in 2006 K-Salaam and Beatnick’s aforementioned The World Is Yours was re-packaged and re-released by VP Records in 2008 as Whose World Is This? Among the tracks added to the expanded package was this link-up between Sizzla and former G-Unit member Young Buck. The track, which lacks the vibrancy of Kalonji and Mos Def’s “Victory,” is probably best left forgotten.

Rick Ross feat. Sizzla and Mavado, “Mafia Music III” (2014)
Rick Ross has dabbled in reggae with his artist Magazeen, and even announced plans to launch Maybach Music Jamaica a few years back (a plan which seems to have fizzled out). Given the number of rap collaborations Mavado has done since signing with We The Best (and even before then), his appearance on “Mafia Music III” won’t raise eyebrows, but it’s been a minute since we’ve heard Sizzla on a track with a major commercial artist. Between this and the nod to “Solid Like A Rock” on Jay-Z “Crown,”  expect to see a lot more rappers looking to him for inspiration in the future.