Some of rap’s biggest songs almost ended up in entirely different hands. Producers often shop beats around, but whether due to timing, personal taste, or fate, some artists pass on tracks that later become iconic in someone else’s hands.
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In rap especially, “what-if” scenarios can be fascinating — whether it’s a missed collaboration or, in this case, a beat that slipped away. For example, Scott Storch originally made “Candy Shop” with Fat Joe in mind. Even though the “Lean Back” rapper gave feedback on the production, the beat ultimately went to 50 Cent. Similarly, Travis Scott’s massive hit “goosebumps” could’ve been ScHoolboy Q’s, had he just come up with a stronger reference track.
Below, REVOLT highlights 15 rap songs that almost went to someone else — and in some cases, were fully recorded — before becoming hits in new hands.
1. “BUTTERFLY EFFECT” by Travis Scott
“BUTTERFLY EFFECT” might be a defining moment in Scott’s catalog, especially during his ASTROWORLD era — but the beat almost went in a different direction. Murda Beatz revealed that he originally sent the instrumental to both Nicki Minaj and Quavo before it ended up with the H-Town hitmaker. Even wilder? Both Nicki and Quavo “did a song to it,” according to Murda at ComplexCon.
2. “No More Parties In LA” by Kanye West
“No More Parties in LA” marked the first Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar’s collaboration — and for a while, the only true measure of who was a sharper lyricist. Funny enough, Freddie Gibbs nearly ended up with the track instead. He released a version of the Madlib-produced track on SoundCloud, followed by the fittingly titled “Cocaine Parties” which made it onto 2021’s Pinata (Deluxe).
3. “hey now” by Kendrick Lamar
“hey now” was one of many standout cuts from Lamar’s sixth studio album — the surprise 2024 album release, GNX. The beat was actually created five years earlier, and in the time it took to reach the Grammy winner, quite a few artists passed on the beat. Mustard originally gave it to YG, aiming for a “West Coast version” of Clipse’s “Grindin’.” It then made its way to Quavo. Ty Dolla $ign also cut a version, but never released it.
4. “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa
“See You Again” served as the Fast and Furious franchise’s emotional send-off to Paul Walker, who tragically died in 2013. It became a massive hit — but according to Khalifa, the final version we know almost looked very different. Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, 50 Cent, Eminem, and Wale were all considered for the track before it was narrowed down to the Philadelphia native and Charlie Puth. “Yes, all of those names — definitely — they were all on there,” Khalifa confirmed on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast.
5. “N**gas in Paris” by JAY-Z and Kanye West
JAY-Z and West are basically expected to perform “N**gas in Paris” anytime they are, well, in Paris. It’s arguably the one song from their collaborative album Watch the Throne that became bigger than the album itself. Pusha T originally passed on the Hit-Boy-produced beat — he thought it sounded “like a video game.”
6. “Many Men” by 50 Cent
One of 50 Cent’s biggest hits almost wasn’t his at all. “Many Men” came to him after Nas “fell out of love” with it. That’s right — the track could’ve gone to another New York legend. Former Columbia Records A&R Lenny “Linen” Nicholson told XXL he passed the beat to 50 with Nas’ blessing: “At that time, 50 was looking for something just to stay busy and to keep writing.”
7. “Gold Digger” by Kanye West
Shawnna didn’t see the vision — but West did. The original chorus included the line, “I’m not sayin’ I’m a gold digger / But I ain’t messin’ with no broke n**ga,” before evolving into the Jamie Foxx version we know today. The Late Registration standout, “Gold Digger” has plenty of fun facts tied to it — becoming Ray Charles’ first posthumous No. 1 hit — giving it deeper ties to Hip Hop and soul than most people realize.
8. “1Train” by A$AP Rocky
A$AP Rocky’s “1Train” was one of those rare posse cuts that — Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Danny Brown, and more all shared one beat. Here’s the twist: Hit-Boy initially sent that instrumental to Drake. As Hit-Boy later shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, “[The] first person I sent this beat to was Drake. He said he already had a joint on his album with a similar sound.” The track Drake was referring to? “Light Up” from Thank Me Later.
9. “goosebumps” by Travis Scott
“goosebumps” became Scott’s second-ever diamond-certified hit — and ScHoolboy Q might’ve landed it if he’d finished his reference track for the Cardo-produced beat. “I kept going, and then I guess, I’m like, ‘I couldn’t come up with nothing.’ I guess he sent it to Travis,” the TDE rapper shared during a sit-down with “Back On Figg.”
“Every time me and Travis see each other, we always laugh about it,” he said. “Cause it’s like, Bruh, you just took the name of the beat and made that joint. I blew it!” Fortunately for fans, the pair eventually teamed up for “CHopstix.”
10. “Find Your Love” by Drake
Believe it or not, Drake’s “Find Your Love” was originally written for Rihanna — someone’s lucky hard drive still has her recorded version. “For one reason or another, it didn’t make it to Rihanna’s album, so Drake took it and made a smash out of it,” producer Jeff Bhasker told Complex. While “Find Your Love” is R&B leaning, we would be remiss not to include such an impactful song by one of the biggest rap stars of all time. Fun fact: West was also in that original studio session and helped shape the now-iconic “hey, hey, hey” melody.
11. “Southern Hospitality” by Ludacris
Add N.O.R.E. to the list of artists still thinking about the one that got away. He passed on the beat for Ludacris’ “Southern Hospitality” — a decision he still talks about. N.O.R.E. admitted the beat just wasn’t his style — so maybe it all worked out in the end.
12. “We Gonna Make It” by Jadakiss
If you couldn’t already tell, Nas was handing out potential hits left and right. Jadakiss’ “We Gonna Make It” nearly went to the Queensbridge legend, but he didn’t move on it fast enough. “He had it,” The Alchemist told XXL, noting that Ras Kass also recorded over the beat. “I tracked it for him, and it never happened. I don’t know what happened.”
13. “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent
Fat Joe might be the only rapper to pass on a beat the right way — by handing it off and still locking in a production credit. According to Scott Storch — who made “Candy Shop” for the Terror Squad frontman — it was Joe’s idea to sample Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid in Full” for the intro.
14. “Jet Fuel” by Mac Miller
Before “Jet Fuel” landed on Mac Miller’s beloved album Swimming, the track was actually played in a Lamar session, according to Steve Lacy. The Gemini Rights singer co-produced the track with DJ Dahi, who created the loop. “I did that groove, but Dot didn’t use it,” Lacy told Vulture. Considering DAMN. became one of Lamar’s most successful projects — and after hearing Miller’s soulful take — maybe it’s good thing Lamar passed on the track.
15. “Heard ‘Em Say” by Kanye West
It’s one thing to pass on a Kanye West beat, but it’s a whole different level to watch him turn it into a smash right in front of you. “I sat there and watched this man write the song,” Common shared on Carmelo Anthony and The Kid Mero’s “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast. “I can’t front — I wasn’t gonna do what he did to that beat. Sometimes you gotta know that.” Fair enough, especially since the Adam Levine-assisted track became a huge hit leading up to Late Registration.
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