by DM Zwack

Created on: June 11, 2009

Rap duos are not always easy to define. Some hip-hop acts employ two MCs and a DJ but the latter is unbilled and therefore not as well-known. Salt-N-Pepa's name implies a duo, but Spinderella was also in the fold. Similarly, Run DMC took its moniker from the handles of the two rappers, but were always quick to laud the contributions of the late Jam Master Jay. Since both Spinderella and JMJ achieved fairly high levels of fame and notoriety for their work, it makes little sense to identify the aforementioned acts as duos. On the other hand, EPMD is difficult to classify as anything but a duo as they employed multiple DJs who are not especially famous outside the circles of rap enthusiasts (among whom the author counts himself). While reading this article, one should bear in mind that the term "duo" is not quite as simple to pigeonhole as at first it seems.

A number of commercially and critically successful rap duos come to mind when compiling this kind of list. DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince were among the first to cross over into pop territory with hits such as "Parents Just Don't Understand". Though they were not embraced by fans of hardcore hip-hop and never loved by critics, their chart sucess improved rap's accessibility. And Will Smith, aka Fresh Prince, subsequently became an A-List celebrity.

The antithesis of Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince might be Mobb Deep, a pair of rappers from Queens who generated consistent, though unspectacular, sales for years through rhymes based on gritty ghetto tales. The content might have seemed stereotypical or cartoonish had it not been so convincing. Still active today, Havoc and Prodigy built their formula and stuck to it.

Other notable duos include Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock, whose enduring hit , "It Takes Two", remains a dancehall classic. EPMD, despite long periods of inactivity and occasional internal strife, recorded several solid albums and an exceptionally good one. "Strictly Business", their debut, yielded classics like the title track and "You Gots To Chill". Canadians King Lou and Capital Q formed the obscure but talented Dream Warriors, whose phenomenal song cycle "And Now the Legacy Begins" was their only effort as a duo (New member Spek was added for the group's followup). Pete Rock and CL Smooth enjoyed a brief heyday, but their deft rhyming ability and association with other East Coast rap acts, most notably Run DMC, established their reputation.

When selecting the best in rap history, a duo of duos

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