Best Rap Duos of All Time: 16 Duos, Era by Era

• Eric B. & Rakim: MTV named Paid in Full the greatest hip-hop album in 2006, citing Rakim’s calm, methodical flow. The first rap act with a million-dollar record deal.
• EPMD: Erick and Parrish Making Dollars, from Brentwood, New York; the Strictly Business title track samples Eric Clapton’s “I Shot the Sheriff”.
• Gang Starr: Guru and DJ Premier, pioneers of jazz rap. Guru died in 2010; Premier released One of the Best Yet in 2019.
• Kris Kross: Jermaine Dupri’s first So So Def act, a rap duo charting at 13. “Jump” spent eight weeks at No. 1 in 1992. Chris Kelly died in 2013.

• 8Ball & MJG: they met at a Memphis middle school in 1984; On Top of the World (1995) reached No. 8 and went gold.
• UGK: Underground Kingz, of Port Arthur, Texas. Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin’” was their 2000 breakthrough; Underground Kingz debuted at No. 1 in 2007, months before Pimp C died.
• OutKast: they helped popularize Southern hip-hop. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won Album of the Year and went Diamond; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted them in 2025.

• Mobb Deep: the Queens rap duo’s The Infamous, set in the Queensbridge Houses, is on Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums list. Prodigy died in 2017; Havoc and the Alchemist released Infinite in 2025.
• Tha Dogg Pound: a Long Beach rap duo among Death Row’s first signings. Dogg Food (1995) debuted at No. 1 and went double platinum.
• Black Star: a Brooklyn rap duo named after Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line. Debut 1998; second album, No Fear of Time, 2022.
• Method Man & Redman: Wu-Tang Clan meets Def Squad, Staten Island meets Newark. “How High” reached No. 13 on the Hot 100 and shares its name with their 2001 film.
• Clipse: a rap duo of brothers from Virginia Beach, discovered by Pharrell Williams, who produced their acclaimed 2025 album Let God Sort Em Out. Lord Willin’ reached No. 4.

• Run the Jewels: El-P of Brooklyn and Killer Mike of Atlanta. Their debut was a free download; every album through RTJ4 (2020) won critical acclaim.
• Rae Sremmurd: brothers from Tupelo, Mississippi; the name is “Ear Drummers” backward. “Black Beatles”, with Gucci Mane, reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.
• City Girls: a Miami rap duo on Quality Control Music. Guest spots on Drake’s No. 1 “In My Feelings” brought them mainstream attention in 2018.
• Unc & Phew: Quavo and his nephew Takeoff of Migos. “Hotel Lobby” was their first track; their only album debuted at No. 7. Takeoff was killed on November 1, 2022. More in Quavo and Takeoff.

On Hotel Lobby Video, a photo of each person becomes a short rap duo video, with the Hotel Lobby track, your own song or an AI rap verse. Need a name? Try the rap duo name generator.