Monster

One of the most eclectic songs in hip-hop history, "Monster" features rappers Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z and Rick Ross, and also the singer Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, who opens and closes the track. Most star-packed collaborations around this time featured a series of guys rapping about their talents, but with Bon Iver and Nicki Minaj on board, Kanye West was able to break free from this convention by bringing in some unusual voices. And while all the rappers take on their haters in their rhymes, there's an exceptional level of pathos in play that makes it feel dangerous and unpredictable. Minaj, for instance, brings along her alter ego, Roman Zolanski, and raps in a bewildering array of flows that sound like different people. In the years leading up to "Monster" it was rare to hear any woman on a hip-hop banger, let alone one as versatile as Minaj. She came into currency just months earlier with features on Lil Wayne's "Knockout," Ludacris' "My Chick Bad" and Usher's "Lil Freak." Her debut album, Pink Friday, was still a month away. "50K for a verse, no album out," she raps on "Monster." After the track dropped, her price certainly went up.

Originally intended for Kanye West's collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z, "Monster" appeared on Kanye's solo album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy instead and was released as the album's third single.

The deeper voice on the outro is Charlie Wilson of The Gap Band, who first teamed with West on Kayne's 2005 track "Crack Music." West would sometimes bring Wilson into the studio to record various vocal tracks and then use them where he saw fit. Wilson had no idea what he sang would become this monster.