Earlier today, while out getting lunch, I was trying to find something to listen to on the radio when I happened upon a Rap and R&B station where one of the DJs was just introducing a song by Nelly featuring Tim McGraw.
Stunned, I listened to the song in its entirety and when I got back to work, looked up the song on Google to make sure I heard it right and found this.
What the hell? A rapper collaborating with a country star? Who was the genius behind this idea? I can’t even imagine the meeting where it was proposed without rolling my eyes violently.
If I believed in God, I’d surely believe this was a sign of the coming Apocalypse.
The idea of good ol’ boys collaborating with homeboyz may not be as out there as you think; musicians often have personal musical tastes that stretch beyond their professional genres. I can remember a time when it was considered bizarre to mix hiphop with metal; today, this concept raises few eyebrows.
As for the meeting of the two artists, from what I’ve heard, one affinity McGraw shares with a number of rappers is playing basketball; perhaps the idea was pitched courtside.
Apparently, some small country band called the Gourds had done a cover of Snoop Dogg’s Gin and Juice. Well, Snoop got wind of this, tracked them down, and joined them for a live performance.
As far as Nelly and Tim McGraw goes, well… Nelly’s from St. Louis. It’s possible he was a closet country fan the whole time.