More than just a fan-favorite artist, XXXTentacion had a wide range of friends and fans in the music world as well. From close collaborators like Ski Mask The Slump God to posthumous features on tracks with Lil Wayne, X has worked with more artists than you can count. But which collaboration is his very best?
We ranked XXXTentacion’s best features and collaborations below.
10. “Ecstasy” (ft. Noah Cyrus)
In one of his most sonically emotional tracks, he surprisingly doesn’t handle the hook. Noah Cyrus delivers an incredible performance that communicates the longing X describes in his verse—looking for someone to take away his pain in the same way that drugs would.
9. “Scared of the Dark” (w/ Lil Wayne and Ty Dolla $ign)
Some of X’s posthumous work is what truly added to his legacy and introduced him to new audiences. Featured on the Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse soundtrack, listeners across various demographics were able to hear X spitting over beautifully crafted, cinematic production by Metro Boomin.
8. “changes” (w/ PNB Rock)
PNB Rock and XXXTENTACION worked together a handful of times, and on each one, they meshed perfectly. A common throughline in X’s music was his inability to fully understand how love worked and how people operated—including himself. He questioned the “Changes” he was seeing in his relationship, something many people have experienced in their own lives.
7. Ye, “True Love” (ft. XXXTENTACION)
Another track where X handles the hook, and ONLY the hook, his impact within such brief amounts of time can not be overstated. Ye details his (widely and publicly known) romantic situation, down to how visitations with his kids work. Then, X’s hook comes through just to break your heart even more.
6. “F**k Love” (w/ Trippie Redd)
Both X and Trippie Redd have released more than a handful of emotionally vulnerable cuts. That said, “F**k Love” might be the most straightforward of them all. Full of anger, angst, and potential relatability, the heartbreak you feel with every listen makes this one of the best songs in X’s discography.
5. “infinity (888)” (w/ Joey Bada$$)
While he was here, Joey and X shared a special bond over music and their perspectives on life—so much so, Joey said that he reminded him of his late Pro Era associate and close friend, Capital Steez. On the track, they discuss ways they wish they could change the world and what made them who they are, over the kind of boom bap beat that stands out from X’s usual offerings.
4. “Middle Child” (w/ PNB Rock)
The melodic rap era of 2016-2019 was home to various stars, with PNB Rock and X right at the top of that list. As previously mentioned, it’s often mistaken that X could only be chaotic or a “sadboy”—with no in-between—when it’s really his verses that live in the middle that stand out the most.
3. “Take A Step Back” (w/ Ski Mask The Slump God)
Whenever XXXTentacion and Ski Mask The Slump God linked up, you just knew it would be something special. Easily one of his most frequent collaborators, X and Ski Mask had a perfect synergy across their joint tracks. Ski was the much more chill one of the duo, and it shows on “Take A Step Back,” with X raging all over the track, but there’s enough balance to make it a hit.
2. “Falling Down” (w/ Lil Peep)
“Falling Down” carries an emotional edge that really takes it over the top. Originally, Lil Peep’s song, with a feature from ILoveMakonnen, X put his own spin on it. On the track itself, he talks about wishing he could have gotten to know Peep better, so the weight of their mutual situations—leaving this world too soon—makes this a heavy, but beautiful listen.
1. Kodak Black, “Roll In Peace” (ft. XXXTENTACION)
One of his biggest and best collabs, “Roll In Peace,” showcases an early X and Kodak Black taking the world by storm. The late 2010s were heavy on experimental vocal delivery, and both rappers pack a punch in that department. While many might see X as melodic or a rager, with no in-between, his verse here is one of his best by far.
While his flow can be the star of the show at times, his subject matter here actually reflects the situations he and Kodak both endured at the time. It’s a good time capsule to look at how he viewed his career thus far, and where he would go from there.
