Last week saw the long-awaited release of Vybz Kartel’s collaboration with Pusha T for the Half on A Baby remix. Of course, this was not the first time that Pusha and Vybz laid their voices on the same track, ‘Double Down’ has long been a staple in the crate of the dancehall hip hop fan. In fact, Vybz has probably done more successful and cross-genre collaborations than any other dancehall artist, lending his distinctive voice as far flung as electro and reggaeton. The finest duos always come when they actually record together and don’t just lay down a verse in a studio a million miles away, so some of the Jamaican ones are still top.

Here are a very subjective top ten of Vybz’s best collaborations across the genres, focussing on his best verses and versitility, not the biggest hits (case in point: ‘Pon di Floor’) and not including any Pusha T.

10. ‘Dangerous’ with Cormega

A dangerous take on Conroy Smith’s classic with NYC rapper Cormega. Big bassline and some fighting talk from Kartel.

9. ‘We Going Mad’ with KMC

Aside from maintaining a Palance-based injury, this is one of the only soca songs thats hook might make you cry. He’s not wrong when he says ‘KMC and Kartel, carnival a start well’. Feel my vybz now, feel my melody.

8. ‘Bad Man’ with Missy Elliott and M.I.A.

A huge Jaws-inspired bassline and Missy rocking the patois. Triple threat tune with three deejays from different contintents.

7. ‘High Altitude’ with Bounty Killer & Baby G & Don Corleon

Big weed tune with some serious fast chat from Kartel.

6. ‘Breast Specialist’ with Beenie Man

The two Gaza kings unite to tell the world, very scientifically, how familiar they are with a certain part of a lady’s body.

5. ‘Why You Doing It’ parts 1/2 with Wayne Marshall (& ‘So High’ with Bounty Killer & Wayne Marshall)

Wayne Marshall & Kartel work so well together, so well in fact that they did two versions of the same song, first on the Krazy riddim and then the Good 2 Go.

4. ‘Weh Dem A Go’ with Jah Vinci

Before Jah Vinci fell out with the Gaza Camp, the two made this brilliant collaboration, with a huge hook from Jah Vinci and some real intense Kartel.

3. ‘Clarks’ with Popcaan & Gaza Slim

The biggest ode to the Clarks Original, Kartel brought in his two young proteges, Popcaan & Gaza Slim for guest verses. Last year’s biggest dancehall tune, this one is forever.

2. ‘Ramping Shop’ with Spice

One of the best dancehall love songs of the last decade, this collaboration with Spice is not for the prudish but really shows off Vybz’ versatility (so, incidentally does ‘Versatility’) and penchant for the slow jam.

1. ‘New Millennium’ with Wayne Marshall

‘New Millennium’ in many ways was a new millennium for dancehall, this is one of the best Kartel tunes out there hands down, his flow is near unmatchable in this song. And the video is like dancehall meets TRON, win win.

For more Vybz collabs, be sure to check Eminem, Indu, Rihanna, Sheba, Mavado, Aidonia, Gaza Slim, Pitbull, Russian, and all the others I’ve forgotten…

Mixpak is proud to announce a new addition to the Half on A Baby remix package! After the release of the original as the second single from the Kingston Story album, along with 5 exclusive remixes, we now add one of the most exciting names in the 2011 rap game to the roster: Pusha T. Joining forces with the Jamaican MC, he offers up a slow, sultry and stripped down verse to perfectly complement Kartel’s own impassioned flow.

This is New York to Kingston via Virginia, uniting a Jamaican dancehall legend with one of hip hop’s most distinctive voices. This is Mixpak to the fullest. 

This one is a free download, don’t sleep! And remember you can still buy Kingston Story here.

Vybz Kartel – Half On A Baby (Remix) [feat. Pusha T]

Today sees a brand new collaboration between Mixpak and NYC dancehall stalwart, Max Glazer, of Federation Sound. Max will be contributing regularly to the Mixpak blog and this month his offering is an introduction to what’s rocking their soundsystems at Federation right now. Take it away Max:

Collie Buddz – Too Watchy [Upsetta Records]

“Too watchy” is basically just a perfect one drop song. Collie Buddz has been consistently making great music since he debuted with “Come Around”. Sometimes people have been taking notice, sometimes they haven’t but he has kept the quality control that is mostly missing in dancehall. No matter how many I times I play this I am still not sick of hearing it… Pull up again!

To Isis – Come Here Girl (DJ Theory Remix) [Federation Sound]

When we started working on the Flatlands Remix Project I stepped to DJ Theory for a mix, not knowing exactly what to expect and he came back with the unexpected. Theory MURDERED the moombahton. This mix rips apart the original dancehall version and reconstructs it as a 110 bpm dance floor banger that is amongst the best of this new genre I’ve ever heard… and not just because Federation put it out. Check how he flips the original sounds from the riddim. Wicked.

Stylo G – Call Mi A Yardie (& Remix) [Warning Records]

From the first time I heard Stylo G’s “Call Mi A Yardie” I knew it was a hit. This is one of those rare songs that catches people instantly. Every time I’ve ever played it (club or radio) someone has asked what it was. I’m not usually a big fan of hip-hop crossed dancehall but “Call Mi A Yardie” nails it perfectly. Oh, almost forgot to mention… There’s a remix with Kardinal Offishall because “ya cyan say Yardie an yuh nuh call Kardi”…

Kardinal Offishall – Anywhere (Ol Time Killin’ Pt.2)

Hmmmm, Kardi + Sleng Teng? Niceness guaranteed. There is nothing I like more than when Toronto’s Kardinal Offishall goes back to his dancehall roots in a sound killing style. No one brings rap and reggae together like this guy.

Gappy Ranks – Ragga Ragga [Champion Squad]

When Gappy kicked in the door last year I wasn’t sure if it was just hype or if he would really be able to make a worldwide impact. Well… here we are and He’s just delivered an amazing ode to dancehall, it’s history, artists, sound systems, ladies, the UK, producers, etc. If there were a dancehall 101 course this would be required listening.

Masicka – No Big Deal [Equiknoxx]

Equiknoxx consistently makes some of the most creative and interesting music coming out of Jamaica. Along with upcoming lyrical terror Masicka and a classic Bounty Killer Sample, “No Big Deal” is a perfect fusion of modern urban dancehall – thoroughly new, with a nod to the foundation. Masicka promises to “run the streets ’til all the deaf know we song”.

Vybz Kartel – Tell You Say / Duppy Know [CR203]

ZJ Chrome’s V6 riddim only has 3 tunes, and 2 are from the Gaza General Vybz Kartel. Seems like a lot of people have missed this because of the abbreviated line up, but it’s a tough simple riddim and features two of the Teacha’s best songs in recent memory. “Tell You Say” is for the ladies. “Duppy Know” is for the rude boys. Both deserve your ears. These are going to last, and with the possibility of no new Kartel for a while, you will definitely need them in your stash.

Terro 3000 – Haters [Kritikal Production]

Sample a Ward 21 vocal and I’m pretty much always going to play your tune. Even better when you’re one of the most talented and innovative dancehall artists on the scene right now. I’m fully supporting everything this guys does (even more so since he voiced the first shot on our Flatlands riddim). Haters is great Ward 21 inspired dancehall.

Ward 21 – Cyaa Cry Cree [Wiletunes]

Speaking of Ward 21… Woah! I stumbled across this one on iTunes and was glad to drop my $1.98. These crazy dudes creatively “borrowed” Beenie Man’s “Girls I See” from Shocking Vibes’ Damsel Pandemonium riddim and turned up the badman-ness about 1000% for “Cyaa Cry Cree”. One of my favorite of many great tunes from some of the sickest minds in dancehall.

This month’s Mixpak chart is chosen by German ravers extraordinaire, Schlachthofbronx. Not surprisingly, the 10 tracks are club hits from all around the world, running through the likes of Chicago, Jersey, Angola, Berlin, Latin America, the UK and Italy.

1 Chad B – Hit it

2 Feral – Chit Chat Club Mix

3 DJ Solo – What have you done?

4 DJ Dus – K le pasa

5 Modeselektor – Berlin

6 Vybz Kartel – Half on a Baby (Schlachthofbronx remix)

7 Tokyo feat DJ Swiggs – Come ride this thing

8 Buraka Som Sistema – (We Stay) Up All Night (feat Blaya & Roses Gabor)

9 Crookers – Hummus ft Hudmo

10 The Cartels – From The Back

Vybz may be on lock down, but the first single from the Mixpak released Kingston Story album, Go Go Wine is still in full effect. After featuring a few remixes not long back, two more great versions have appeared: A7′s treatment of Ce’cile’s classic dancehall tune, ‘Hot Like We’, and Obeyah‘s mash-up with John Legend’s version of ‘Rolling In The Deep’. Keep ‘em coming!

Ce’cile – Hot Like We (A7 Go Go Wine refix)

John Legend – Rolling In The Deep (Obeyah Go Go Wine refix)

[Shout out Dub Boy for the tip off]

Watch this clip of Schlachthofbronx tearing down the Cervantino festival in Guanajuato in Mexico with their remix of Vybz Kartel’s ‘Half on a Baby’!

‘Half On A Baby’, the second single from the Vybz Kartel Kingston Story album is out today on Mixpak, complete with 5 exclusive remixes from Mosca, Funkystepz, Dubbel Dutch, Schlachthofbronx and Bert on Beats.

On its own, “Half On A Baby” is a proper Caribbean dancehall/pop anthem, but when combined with remixes from some of the most exciting names in underground bass music it becomes something more. Recent Mixpak signee Dubbel Dutch takes “Half On A Baby” deep into the underground without losing sight of the melodicism that makes the original so enticing. Another member of the Mixpak fam, Schlachthofbronx, flips the track on it’s head, turning it into a tempo-shifting Power Soca heavy hitter.

Bert On Beats and Funkystepz hand in contemporary bass takes on “Half On A Baby”, with the former going hard and the latter taking a more melodic, tropical approach. Finally, Mosca (Number, Night Slugs, etc) comes with a subtle-yet-banging remix that simultaneously references early-90′s house and hyper-modern UK sounds.

Buy on iTunes / Turntable Lab / Juno now!

Vybz Kartel – Half On A Baby (Remixes) EP by Mixpak

Prolific remixers Slackaz have pulled out this quickfire mix of Vybz Kartel’s biggest hits from the last 12 months. Think of it as a stark 20 minute reminder of just how inventive, impressive and productive Di Teacha is. #freekartel

Download it here.

If you haven’t had one of your tracks Moombahtized, you haven’t lived. Jacky Murda has just thrown out this Moombahton remix of Vybz Kartel’s ‘Yuh Love’, from the Kingston Story album. Download it from his soundcloud:

This week Mosca covered SBTRKT for a two-hour slot on Rinse FM, dropping some of his forthcoming material including his Vybz Kartel remix for Mixpak and tracks for 3024, along with new R1 Ryders, Skudge, Preditah and more.

Stream it or download it here.