25 Remixes That Made You Forget About The Original

When the new version of a song takes the record to the next level.

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Complex Original

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Remixing began in modern music as a means of streamlining potential singles for radio play. Early alternate versions were quite often radio edits, remixed almost exclusively for brevity, but sometimes radical changes would be made to the mix. The rise of disco culture in the '70s inspired producers to cut longer "extended versions" of singles so club patrons could wild out to songs they liked for more than the usual three to four minutes.

Hip-hop has warped the function and definition of the remix over the years. Early on, artists would occasionally cut extended mixes like their dance music predecessors, but by late '80s and early '90s, remixes provided opportunities for outside producers and MCs to get a crack at an existing song. Nowadays, the mainstream rap remix is usually a matter of keeping the beat and adding a few famous guests, mainly for a stats boost since Nielsen's BDS honors the same song structure.

The hip-hop remix is a second chance, employed to extend the reach of a hit by expounding on an already successful formula or give a floundering song the jolt of intrigue it lacked the first time around. It's an achievement that can be accomplished any number of ways, whether it's by reimagining the beat, rewriting the lyrics, adding a show-stealing guest verse or chorus, or in rare cases, by throwing out everything but the name and recording a brand new song.

This is a list of songs whose remixes were such radical improvements that we don't really talk about the what the record did on the first try. 25 Remixes That Made You Forget About The Original.

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Eric B. & Rakim "Paid In Full (Seven Minutes Of Madness - The Coldcut Remix)" (1987)

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"Paid in Full," the title cut from Eric B. & Rakim's masterpiece, thrived off Rakim's flawless rhymes and Eric B.'s flip of Dennis Edwards' "Don't Look Any Further." It became a hit when British dance producers got ahold of it and released the Seven Minutes of Madness remix, which doubled the running time and added new samples. Eric B. hated it (and called it "girly disco music"), Rakim loved it, and it became one of the first examples of a song's remix becoming a hit single.

Eazy-E "Boyz-n-the-Hood (Remix)" (1988)

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"Boyz-n-the-Hood" first appeared on an early Eazy-E/N.W.A split single, but it's the remix from Eazy's debut album, Eazy-Duz-It, that's considered the definitive version. The remix cleans up the cavernous reverb of the earlier version and adds new samples and an introductory verse full of quotables that would go on to inspire UGK's 1994 classic "Front, Back, Side to Side" and T.I.'s 2005 remake "Front Back."

De La Soul f/ Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Jungle Brothers, Monie Love & Queen Latifah "Buddy (Native Tongue Decision)" (1989)

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De La Soul's "Buddy" is a case of a remix making a great song even greater. The original is a mellow jam with guest verses from Q-Tip and the Jungle Brothers. The remix steps things up, pulling a sample from Taanya Gardner's funk classic "Heartbeat" and corralling Tip and the Jungle Brothers as guests again along with Phife Dawg, Monie Love and Queen Latifah for a seven-minute Native Tongues blowout.

Public Enemy "Shut 'Em Down (Pete Rock Mixx)" (1991)

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Public Enemy's "Shut 'Em Down" was a quality cut off Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Back featuring Chuck D's incendiary political bars and booming production from Bomb Squad apprentices the Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk. It was sluggish and gritty, but the song didn't really click into place until Pete Rock delivered one of the best beats of his career on the remix.

Craig Mack f/ The Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, Busta Rhymes & LL Cool J "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)" (1994)

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"Flava in Ya Ear" was a Bad Boy classic, thanks to a legendary beat from Easy Moe Bee and the clever wordplay of Craig Mack. It's the remix that made the biggest impression, though. Biggie's verse was wall-to-wall quotables ("Don't be mad, UPS is hiring!"), and unhinged guest raps from Busta Rhymes and Rampage along with LL Cool J's laid back loverman steez resulted in one of the best posse cuts of the '90s.

The Fugees "Nappy Heads (Remix)" (1994)

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"Nappy Heads," off the Fugees' 1994 debut, Blunted on Reality showcases the manic, messy energy of their early years, but the song's remix is a snapshot of a good group quickly becoming a great one. Salaam Remi's remix swapped out the busy jazz-hop of the original for something smoother, and the group responded by reigning in their more overbearing vocal tendencies and deading a Pras verse in favor of more Lauryn. The formula worked: The remix was the lead track on the A-side of the "Nappy Heads" single.

Black Moon "I Got Cha Opin (Remix)" (1994)

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"I Got Cha Opin" was an epic trash talk anthem from Black Moon's 1993 debut, Enta Da Stage, with lyrics as grimy as the song's minimalist Beatminerz production. Da Beatminerz opted for a softer touch on the remix, though, and Buckshot attacks it with a smoother, more melodic delivery, too. It's worth noting that the single release leads with the easygoing Beatminerz remix instead of the original.

The Notorious B.I.G. f/ Mary J. Blige & Faith Evans "One More Chance/Stay With Me (Remix)" (1995)

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"One More Chance" was a dope album cut from Ready to Die with a hook from Bad Boy girl group Total and verses full of Big's bedroom conquests, but it wasn't until the remix was released that the song really connected. Armed with a slick Debarge sample and a hook from Big's wife Faith Evans, "One More Chance/Stay with Me" was the biggest success of all the Ready to Die singles.

Method Man f/ Mary J. Blige "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By" (1995)

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"All I Need" was a gritty Wu banger from Method Man's 1994 debut, Tical, that pinched its melody and concept off Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "You're All I Need To Get By." It's a great song, although the chorus from Wu associate Streetlife is a little lacking, but when Meth tapped Mary J. Blige to sing on the remix, one of the all time great hip-hop love songs was born.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony "Tha Crossroads (DJ U-Neek's Mo Thug Remix)" (1996)

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The LP version of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's "Tha Crossroads." off 1995's E. 1999 Eternal, is a mournful ode to fallen friends, but the song suffers because the production is as morose as the subject matter. DJ U-Neek's Mo Thugs remix swapped in a much more pleasant melody, and when BTNH rerecorded it, their retooled, hookier vocals paid off, scoring them a No. 1 hit and a Grammy.

LL Cool J f/ Total "Loungin' (Remix)" (1996)

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1995's Mr. Smith marked the end of LL Cool J's ill-advised mid-'90s tough guy period (although he had one last hurrah with "I Shot Ya" and its star-studded remix). "Loungin'" was a sexed up song for the ladies that featured R&B duo Terri & Monica and sampled the Al B. Sure! new jack swing classic "Night and Day." It wasn't a terrible song, but LL's remix with Trackmasters and Total was a hit so big that very few people are aware of the album version's existence.

Puff Daddy & The Family f/ Lil' Kim, The LOX & The Notorious B.I.G. "It's All About the Benjamins (Remix)" (1997)

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Diddy and the LOX's "It's All About the Benjamins" was such a banger when it dropped in 1997 that Funkmaster Flex is said to have played it through for a full hour one night at legendary NYC nightclub the Tunnel. The remix one-ups it with a verse from the dearly departed Notorious B.I.G. over a bonkers beat change and Lil Kim spitting what might be the best verse of her career.

Big Pun f/ Joe "Still Not A Player" (1998)

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Big Punisher had a modest hit with his debut single "I'm Not a Player," which featured his limber rhymes over a flip of the O'Jay's "Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet Tender Love)." For the remix "Still Not a Player," Pun grabbed R&B singer Joe to sing the chorus to his own recently released "Don't Wanna Be a Player" over a salsa influenced beat from Knobody. "I'm Not a Player" and "Still Not a Player" don't really share anything beyond their names, but the former is considered a great album cut, while the latter is a classic.

Mobb Deep f/ Lil Kim "Quiet Storm (Remix)" (1999)

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For Mobb Deep's "Quiet Storm," one of the highlights of 1999's Murda Musik, Havoc flipped the wobbly bassline from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "White Lines (Don't Do It)" into foreboding knucklehead rap. When Lil Kim jumped on the remix to deliver a savage sixteen, "Quiet Storm" became an outer boroughs NYC rap classic.

Erkyah Badu "Bag Lady (Cheeba Sac Main)" (2000)

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Erykah Badu's sophomore album, Mama's Gun is widely revered as a neo-soul classic. Its biggest hit was "Bag Lady," a story of love, loss, and redemption. The album shipped with the laid back, funky original version, but it was the "Cheeba Sac" version, with its booming drums and sample of Dr. Dre's "Xxplosive" that powered the single into our memories.

Jennifer Lopez f/ Ja Rule "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" (2001)

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"I'm Real," the third single from J. Lo's self-titled sophomore album, wasn't really ringing out when it was first released. It's entirely too long and cloyingly peppy. It wasn't until Ja Rule turned up on the breezy and sedate Murder remix with his trademark gruff sing-rap that the song really took flight. The duo connected again on the "Ain't It Funny" remix. Lopez would milk the formula for her next two albums.

M.O.P. f/ Remy Ma, Tephlon & Busta Rhymes "Ante Up (Remix)" (2001)

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M.O.P. already had a hip-hop classic on their hands with 2000's stick up kid anthem "Ante Up (Robbin-Hoodz Theory)," but the remix that appeared on Funkmaster Flex's The Mix Tape Vol. 4 raised the intensity with turned-up verses from Busta Rhymes, lesser known shouter Tephlon, and future Terror Squad first lady (and bride of Papoose), Remy Ma, in one of her first appearances on record.

R. Kelly "Ignition (Remix)" (2003)

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R. Kelly's "Ignition" was a slow jam on 2003's Chocolate Factory that revisited the same girl-as-car metaphor he employed on his 1995 hit "You Remind Me of Something." After "Ignition" plays through on the album, it's immediately followed by "Ignition (Remix)," which took the concept and melody of the original and repurposed them into a carefree weekend party anthem. "Ignition (Remix)" was such a smash that most people who've heard it consider it the definitive version.

50 Cent f/ Mobb Deep "Outta Control (Remix)" (2005)

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When 50 Cent's The Massacre was released in early 2005, "Outta Control" was an unassuming deep cut with lyrics full of party rap boilerplate and production laced with manic orchestral funk from Dr. Dre. That summer, a remix surfaced with a slower, spacier beat, different lyrics, and a feature from Mobb Deep, who had recently signed to G-Unit. The remix was such an improvement that it replaced the original in the tracklist of the album's special edition.

DJ Class f/ Kanye West "I'm The Shit" (2009)

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Baltimore club vet DJ Class got a shot in the arm when Kanye West hopped on the remix to his Auto-Tuned comeback single "I'm the Shit" in 2009. The original is a carefree party anthem, but with the addition of Kanye's verse styling on people who hated his sad robot opus, 808s and Heartbreak, the remix claims the victory.

Chris Brown f/ Drake, Kanye West & Andre 3000 "Deuces (Remix)" (2010)

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Chris Brown's "Deuces" was the breakup anthem of 2010, but Tyga's guest spot quickly faded into memory when Chris tapped an army of rap's finest for a series of star-studded remixes. The version featuring Drake, Kanye West, and Andre 3000 was the best, and it's also noteworthy for being the last time we'd ever hear Drake and Kanye West rapping on the same song. Fabolous and T.I. joined in on an extended version of the remix.

Waka Flocka Flame f/ Drake "Round of Applause" (2011)

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Waka Flocka Flame's "Round of Applause" was a stripper anthem with uncharacteristically smooth production from Flockaveli architect Lex Luger that was intended to be the lead single for his sophomore album, Triple F Life: Fans, Friends & Family. When Drake released a remix as part of a track giveaway designed to promote his own second album, Take Care, the response was so positive that the remix became the official single version of the song.

Big Sean f/ Nicki Minaj "Dance (A$$) (Remix)" (2011)

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Big Sean's "Dance (A$$)" was a textbook case of high risk reaping high rewards. It's an ode to fat asses that samples MC Hammer's ubiquitous but divisive pop-rap hit "U Can't Touch This." The album version finds Sean fending for himself over Da Internz' homage to Miami bass music, but the single version adds a sneering guest spot from Nicki Minaj, who steals the show with bars about thirsty dudes Googling her ass.

Ace Hood f/ Lil Wayne & Rick Ross "Hustle Hard (Remix)" (2011)

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Ace Hood's "Hustle Hard" was a nice try. The lead single to his album, Blood, Sweat & Tears, paired his workmanlike lyricism with plodding, foreboding production from trap impresario Lex Luger. The remix with Rick Ross and Lil Wayne gave the song a shot of character it sorely lacked the first time around.

Juicy J f/ 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne "Bandz A Make Her Dance" (2012)

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There was a notable but moderate level of talk about "Bandz A Make Her Dance" when it was first released deep in the back end of Juicy J's mixtape, Blue Dream & Lean. But when the remix surfaced with sex-crazed quotables from guests 2 Chainz and Lil' Wayne, the resulting critical adulation and chart traction led Juicy J to make the remix the official single version of the song. Later, another "official remix" featuring Wiz Khalifa and French Montana would try and fail to recapture the magic of the first one.

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