The 25 Best Hip-Hop Beat Switches of All Time

Year: 2017 

Producers: J. Cash and KasimGotJuice

Throughout his discography, Playboi Carti has never been shy about embracing a chaotic beat. The production on “Flex,”off of his self-titled debut mixtape, is no exception. Dreamy yet conceited, the beat takes us on a surreal journey, shifting from the strange, psychedelic vibes of a drugged-out episode of Barney to a confident, swag-filled groove. —Mark Braboy

Year: 2018

Producers: Sonny Digital, 30 Roc, BWheezy, Bkorn, Travis Scott, Allen Ritter and MIKE DEAN

You could argue that Travis Scott has mastered the beat switch, using it as a tool to create atmosphere. Sometimes the transitions are seamless, but often there’s a clear bifurcation point. Somehow, “STARGAZING”—one of the standouts on Astroworld—pulls off both. The song starts out textured and ethereal, then makes a hard stop and shifts into a full-on trap heater. The change is so abrupt it could almost break one of our cardinal rules: no two separate songs in one. But there’s a surreal, otherworldly sound threading through both halves that makes it cohesive enough to earn its place on this list. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Year: 2014

Producer: Madlib 

What’s the best MadGibbs song? It’s hard to pick just one, but the ruthless Jeezy diss “Real” is definitely in contention. Freddie Gibbs does what he does best—tearing into his former mentor in an efficient, brutal manner—but Madlib arguably steals the show, showcasing both sides of his production style. The first half leans into his gritty, idiosyncratic instincts, laying out a beat full of screeching noises that sound like the moment in a horror movie when someone’s about to get killed. Then the beat switches. It slows down, turning soulful, almost mournful—like an apology for what Gibbs had to do to Jeezy. —Alan Baez

Year: 2021

Producers: Baby Keem, Cardo Got Wings, Outtatown, Jasper Harris, Frankie Bash, Deats and Roselilah

Leave it up to Baby Keem and his cousin Kendrick Lamar to give the world one of its first true post-COVID lockdown bangers. “family ties” features three beat changes—the first two, driven by royal horns and flutes, match Keem’s exuberant energy as he tells the story of his rise (“I’m grateful to Man-Man, he opened up doors / A bunk on the tour bus to come and compose”).

Then Kendrick comes in—all anxiety, riding a beat that’s distorted and dark. It’s the perfect landscape for him to unleash at least a dozen flows and voices, with Keem jumping back in at the end for a little Jadakiss-and-Styles-P-style back-and-forth. The verse, in a way, foreshadows what would come a couple of years later: Smoking on top fives, indeed. —Alan Baez

Year: 1999

Producers: David Kennedy, Ge-ology and Yasiin Bey

At his best, Yasiin Bey, formally Mos Def, is a self-contained adventure, so it’s only right that his Black on Both Sides ode to his home borough is as sprawling as his imagination. For this one, Yasiin traverses three separate instrumentals, shifting from an original Ge-Ology track to offerings from Smif ‘N’ Wessun (“Home Sweet Home”) and The Notorious B.I.G. (“Who Shot Ya”). The switch-ups—which are mostly seamless—embody everything from Yasiin’s childhood to the treacherous travails of the block. The triumph here is in the beats’ tonal shifts and Yasiin Bey’s ability to adapt to them, a combination that renders “Brooklyn” a diasporic safari of the neighborhood.—Peter A. Berry

Year: 2020

Producers: Ambezza, D. Hill and OZ

At one point—before “Like That”—Drake and Future were one of the most unstoppable duos in rap. The cover art for “Life Is Good,” with the two posted up in a kitchen wearing wide, grinning smiles, perfectly captured their united front. The same goes for the beat, which seamlessly fuses elements of Drake’s atmospheric sound with Future’s faster-paced, trap-heavy Atlanta style.

It’s one of the more fun beat switches in recent memory and it goes off at any party. Some of Drake and Future’s past collabs have felt clunky (looking at you, What a Time to Be Alive), but this one nails it: a perfect sonic merging of two adjacent rap worlds. —Mark Braboy

Year: 2010

Producer: J Dilla  

MF DOOM’s rhymes celebrate language so much that his writing prowess sometimes overshadow his ear for beats. His production often carries the same quirks as his words. On Born Like This, his final solo outing, DOOM helmed most of the beats himself, much like he did on his debut,Operation Doomsday. One of the few exceptions was “Gazzillion Ear,” which opens Born Like This with Bukowskian detail and sly non-sequiturs, riding over muddy-sounding Dilla production that earns a succinct nod with the line, “When it gets realer, split the skrilla with Dilla…” The beat swells into Dilla’s signature—layered textures and wailing sirens—before taking a sharp pivot. It eventually re-centers on the Brenton Wood “Trouble” sample that hooked you from the very beginning. — David Ma

Year: 2016

Producers: Christo and Childish Major

When it comes to bringing an insatiable sense of humor and personality to an infectious beat, Atlanta’s JID hits the mark with “NEVER”—a track that showcases his raw versatility, insane flow, and yes, his hilarious x-rated bars (“Shawty love JID, let me turn her to a hand puppet / She moan, sound like German or something”). But what really sets it apart is one of the craziest beat changes in recent memory.

Produced by Spillage Village affiliates Christo and Childish Major, the production shifts from dramatic minimalism to something twisted and wailing—almost like the beat is crying. The drums are a little unpredictable, giving JID a slightly wonky, off-kilter palette to unleash his colorful delivery. —Alan Baez

Year: 2016

Producers: Kanye West, Havoc, MIKE DEAN, Hudson Mohawke, Plain Pat, Kuk Harrell, Andrew Dawson, Noah Goldstein, Charlie Heat and Swizz Beatz 

“Famous,” like most of the songs on The Life of Pablo, sounds like it was made for arenas. The beat is urgent, anchored by a dramatic hook from Rihanna. The first half of the song feels isolating and dark, propelled by Swizz Beatz’s heavy drums. But then, the beat shifts. Using Sister Nancy’s iconic “Bam Bam” as a sample—and as a commentary on fame and Kanye’s artistic mindset—the drums evolve, and the production opens up, almost as if the heavens are parting. Nancy’s voice floats over the track, while Swizz Beatz’s brash New York energy creates a hypnotic contrast.—Kia Turner

Year: 1990

Producers: Ice Cube, Sir Jinx and Chilly Chill

It can be argued that Ice Cube created the blueprint for the modern mixtape with just one song. Featured on Kill at Will, an EP that came right after AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, the track finds him rapping over iconic instrumentals from the likes of EPMD (“So Wat Cha Sayin’”), D-Nice (“Call Me D-Nice”), Public Enemy (“Welcome to the Terrordome”), LL Cool J (“Big Ole Butt”), and more. Despite pulling from such a wide range of sources, the result feels cohesive and wholly original—mostly thanks to the work of Sir Jinx and Chilly Chill, who blended all the tracks and references into a unified sonic vision. Years later, Cube summed up the inspiration behind it perfectly: “At the time so many dope beats had come out. I just wanted to rap over all that shit.”—Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Year: 2024

Producers: Mustard, Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, Sean Momberger & Kamasi Washington

If “Not Like Us” was Kendrick Lamar’s victory lap, “tv off” is a championship parade fit for the Los Angeles Lakers. The procession begins with Mustard’s legendary beat switch. Unfolding after a first half that admittedly sounds like “Not Like Us, Part II,” the second part of “tv off” begins with an absurdist K.Dot shout and glorious horns that could soundtrack the opening of heaven’s gates. Or an HBCU homecoming. Fused together, it’s a flawless transition for a moment of maximum triumph. Kendrick tells you to turn the TV off, but once the second half of the beat arrives, you’ve got no choice but to turn the music up.—Peter A. Berry

Year: 1992

Producers: Guru and DJ Premier

While DJ Premier didn’t pioneer the beat switch, he certainly perfected it. His attention to shifting moods is often understated but comes through clearly on “I’m The Man,” the classic posse cut featuring Lil’ Dap of Group Home and Jeru The Damaja, another stalwart of the Gang Starr Foundation. On it, he weaves together three distinct backdrops that never clash or feel forced—a testament to Preemo’s knack for finding fragments of sound that blend seamlessly. By the time Jeru “taps ya jaw” on the final verse, you’re already itching to hit replay, knowing you’ve just heard a series of perfect vignettes—something unlike anything Gang Starr had done before. —David Ma

Year: 1999

Producer: Timbaland 

I’m not sure what was happening in Timbaland’s life in the late ‘90s—a trip to Mars, maybe?—but he gave Jay-Z some of the most futuristic, supernatural production of his career on Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. “Come and Get Me” almost feels like an anomaly in Jay’s catalog. It’s a song that somehow merges mysticism with outer space funk. After Jay’s first verse, mostly driven by a funky guitar riff, there’s a one-minute interlude that I’d just describe as the origin of man itself—before Jay reenters, cool and collected: “Yo, the summer’s ’bout to get hot. Niggas home from jail and they plottin’.” Of course, over the years, Jay and Timbo would go on to make many classics—“Picasso Baby” has a sneaky great beat switch—but this felt like the duo’s creative peak. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Year: 2012

Producer: Skhye Hutch, Like and Sounwave

Though it’s not the album closer, “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” serves as the thematic climax of good kid, m.A.A.d city. It achieves this through its emotionally gripping, dual-part instrumental. The first half captures the gut-wrenching sentiment of taking a life for a life; its sparse use of a sample from Grant Green’s “Maybe Tomorrow” and drums from Bill Withers’ “Use Me,” paired with K-Dot’s grief-stricken verses, encapsulates that mortal struggle to a T. It’s immediately followed by a shift to a ghostly-sounding production, carried by a haunting vocal sample and a light flute—a sonic change that gives him space to breathe and sit with that grief. The result is an experience that showcases the depth of Lamar’s storytelling at its most impactful. —Alan Baez

Year: 1988

Producer: Dr. Dre and DJ Yella

During N.W.A’s short but groundbreaking reign in the late ’80s, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella crafted a sound that gave both their rappers and Compton a hard-edged musical identity. With Eazy-Duz-It, they doubled down on dense G-Funk textures, deep basslines, soul samples, and electro-driven grooves that transported listeners straight to the vibrant yet dangerous streets of late ’80s Los Angeles—right in the midst of the crack epidemic. The album’s sprawling self-titled track features some of Dre and Yella’s most electrifying production, with the two ripping off a new sample or beat change seemingly every couple of seconds. The constant mood-shifting across “Eazy-Duz-It” masterfully guides the listener through a wild day in the life of Eazy-E, showcasing both the chaos and charisma that defined his persona. —Mark Braboy

Year: 2017

Producer: Mike WiLL Made-It

Epic as it is, Mike WiLL Made-It’s beat switch for Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA” was largely the result of an accident.

When originally spitting over the beat, Kung Fu Kenny ran out of real estate, so he started spitting a cappella. Being the wizard he is, Mike WiLL chopped an obscure Rick James performance sample, threw in some 808s and made magic. Of course, Kenny’s acrobatics gave him an impressive performance to build around, with his ricocheting rhymes creating the best kind of chaos; Kendrick and Mike Will emptied the clip only to reload and empty it all over again. 

The effect is simultaneously disorienting and engrossing. And as I said, it was all unplanned. It’s the kind of serendipitous synchrony that births unexpectedly legendary moments. In other words, it’s a good thing Mike fucked up. —Peter A. Berry

“Niggas in Paris” is a futuristic track driven by high-pitched synth loops and an underlying trap influence. The production hits hard from the jump, as Ye and Jay volley verses back and forth between standout phrases like “Ball so hard” and “That shit cray.” Their braggadocious wordplay builds toward the end, where the beat morphs into a distorted, electro-heavy version of the original loop. It’s chaotic—like a sonic mosh pit—as they chant, “You are now watching the throne / Don’t let me get in my zone.”

The beat switch elevates the track from a lavish anthem to a full-on experience, as if you’re caught in the dizzying loop of fame and excess they rap about. It works so well because it keeps the same high energy as the first beat—hypnotic and relentless. It really does get the people going. Even when they play it 11 times in a row.—Kia Turner

Year: 2015

Producers: Dahi, Allen Ritter, MIKE DEAN & Travis Scott

“What is the vibe for when I travel from Texas to L.A.?” That’s how Travis Scott describes what he was trying to capture with “90210,” one of the standout tracks from Rodeo and a defining moment in his blend of spacey, genre-blurring rap. The track opens dreamy and trippy—an exploration of the vapid yet seductive world of upper-class drug culture and lavish living—before morphing into something more soulful and nostalgic. The second half subtly reworks Kanye West’s “Family Business,” a nod to Travis’s mentor. And this time, the perspective shifts: Travis tells his own come-up, a personal rags-to-riches story layered over a lush, emotional beat. To this day, “90210” is a fan favorite and a hall of fame example of how effective a beat switch can be. —Alan Baez

Year: 2014

Producer: Nard & B

Future has always been a rapper of multitudes. He can make you smile one moment and cry the next. “Throw Away,” from his classic tape Monster, captures that duality perfectly—almost functioning as an avatar for the highs and lows of the Future experience itself.

It starts out all fast living. Over a beat that comes at you in waves—imagine if the Jetsons made trap music—Future sounds apathetic, juggling women he calls “throwaways.” But then, in the second half—when the lights turn on and it’s time to go home—we hear the real Future. He closes the doors and opens up about the loneliness that lifestyle brings, directing his pain at one woman who left. Naturally, the beat follows suit, with Nard & B providing something mournful and slow, underscored by a subtle but constant ringing in the background. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Year: 2013

Producer: 40

By the time Nothing Was the Same dropped in 2013, Drake had already earned a reputation for delivering some of the best intros in hip-hop, thanks to tracks like “Lust for Life,” “Fireworks,” and “Over My Dead Body.” But “Tuscan Leather” didn’t just live up to those—it surpassed them, becoming one of the defining tracks that helped stamp NWTS as a classic.

Opening with a grand, chipmunk soul-driven sample, 40’s production set the tone right away, giving Drake the perfect backdrop to flex his lyrical dominance at a time when both still had something to prove. Then, right at the three-minute mark, 40 shifts gears, transitioning to a slower, more minimalist beat—a perfect pivot that feels like the icing on the cake. “Tuscan Leather” would go on to set a new standard for Drake intros, with the rapper chasing that same epic feel— e.g. “Legend” and “Virginia Beach”—in many of his releases that followed.  ——Mark Braboy

Year: 1997

Producer: DJ Premier

Released as the intro to his sophomore album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, “A Million and One Questions / Rhyme No More” represents a high point of Jay-Z and DJ Premier’s chemistry, with Premo’s mid-track beat switch accentuating their all-around dynamism. The actual track begins with a masterful Aaliyah flip Premo grafted onto a bouncy piano melody that frames Hova’s conversational flow in aggressive grace—a flawless symbiosis if you’ve ever heard one. On its own, it’s way more than enough to sustain a classic album intro. But then Premier ups the difficulty.

Transitioning from the sprightly, yet reflective beat, he turns some classy orchestra sounds and some well-placed scratches into a portal to a new dimension of sound. Think Twilight Zone, except in this episode, Premo uses supernatural alchemy to turn a forlorn Isaac Hayes sample into something authoritative and streetwise. Here, it sounds like Hov’s just pulled up to State Street to clock in for a hard day of illicit activity; the bouncy keys feel like busy NYC traffic. The result is the perfect freestyle beat—or rather, a self-contained set of DJ Premier classics. —Peter A. Berry

Year: 2013

Producers: Ben Bronfman, Che Pope, SAK PASE, Noah Goldstein, Travis Scott, MIKE DEAN & Kanye West

At the time of its 2013 release, Ye’s Yeezus was his most polarizing album to date. Its sound was a dramatic departure from the Chipmunk Soul sampling style we knew him for. “New Slaves” was one of the key singles that epitomized the album’s darker, atmospheric, and industrialized production. The first half of the track provides the perfect backdrop to Ye’s anti-establishment bars, with its brooding millennial energy that, in hindsight, feels like the ideal soundtrack for a conspiracy theory-laden dictator. The transition into the celebratory, guitar-driven production—complete with ‘Ye singing his way to the finish line, aided by Frank Ocean—turns “New Slaves” into one of the greatest singles in his catalog.   —Mark Braboy

Year: 2012

Producers: Sounwave, THC and Terrace Martin

While not a formal single from good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick Lamar’s collaboration with fellow Compton rap legend MC Eiht remains one of the album’s most iconic tracks. Sounwave and THC’s frantic, string-driven production paints a vivid picture of the terrifying danger in Kendrick’s neighborhood, which he perfectly encapsulates in his verse. The eye of the storm comes through Terrance Martin’s gritty, bass-heavy, vintage West Coast production. When the beat switches, Kendrick goes off, yet shows restraint, setting the stage for Eiht to deliver another legendary moment starting with his opening line: “I’m still in the hood, loc, yeah, that’s cool / Shit, the hood took me under, so I follow the rules.” 

Not to be undone, Kendrick returns with his signature alien-like flow, delivering a verbose verse with multiple voice and tonal changes. The back-and-forth between them is the most cinematic moment on the most cinematic album of Kendrick’s career. —Mark Braboy

Year: 1997

Producers: Stevie J, Diddy & Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie

Certain rap songs are perfect timestamps. “All About the Benjamins” is the definitive anthem of the shiny suit era—a celebration of lavish excess with an undercurrent of grit. The production flips Love Unlimited’s “I Did It for Love” into a slowed-down, brooding backdrop, punctuated by crisp snares that slice clean through the mix.

Puff, The LOX, and Lil’ Kim glide effortlessly over the loop. But it’s the soulful beat switch—built on The Jackson 5’s “It’s Great to Be Here”—that brings cinematic flair to Biggie’s closing verse. That transition, partly inspired by Afrika Bambaataa’s iconic “Death Mix,” shifts the track’s entire energy—from the chaotic pulse of the first beat to a lighter, more triumphant vibe. Even if it only lasts 83 seconds, it’s unforgettable.  —Kia Turner 

Year: 2018

Producers: Hit-Boy, Tay Keith, OZ, CuBeatz, Rogét Chahayed, MD Beatz & MIKE DEAN

Of course, there’s no precise definition for “rap blockbuster,” but Travis Scott’s Drake-assisted “SICKO MODE” is something close to it. Propelled by the biggest stars and producers of the late 2010s, it’s a masterpiece of ornate excess. Don’t just get a capable costar; get the biggest rapper in the world. Don’t just rely on a trendy producer; get all of them. It’s a playground for the best kind of indulgence, and the beat switches —more like a collage of shape shifting atmospheres —are the fulcrum of all the action. The sonic architecture renders three hit singles for the price of one. 

The beat itself plays out like a series of micro climaxes, with an introduction that phases into a second and third act that are as chaotic as they are tidy. It all begins with Drake cruising a skittering organ line that could soundtrack a dystopian western. It could have been the sound of the entire adventure, but it ends up being both a strategic diversion and a launchpad. From there, the beat morphs into a collision of distorted 808s and apocalyptic synths, with Travis bouncing across the snares and hi-hats like a bumpy ride through the galaxy for a rambunctious journey to Astroworld. And then it’s off to the trap. 

Unfolding over the last and most engrossing part of the track, the Tay Keith-produced section is stylish, sinister, and powerful. The bells sound like they were drenched in codeine. The 808s could evoke the blunt-force theater of ancient gladiators. Combined with Drake’s infectious cadences and some back-and-forth interplay with La Flame, it’s a series of climactic explosions before the big bang. 

Some 13 years into his career, Scott remains one of rap’s great aesthetes. He is a Kanye West disciple distilled through the mold of Big Hawk and DJ Screw before him. With its epic beat shifts, “Sicko Mode” became his “All of the Lights”—maximalism at the intersection of narcotized fever and an imagination that extends to the far reaches of the cosmos.—Peter A. Berry