The Best Nav Collaborations

Nav isn’t the first producer- turned- rapper that hip-hop has seen, but he’s quickly distinguishing himself in today’s rap game as a thoughtful curator of songs and sculptor of beats. He’s contributed his ear to hits like “Back to Back” for Drake, and even executive produced alongside Metro Boomin on Perfect Timing. Since breaking into the game and signing with The Weeknd’s XO, Nav is always with the right people at the right time.

The “Freshman List” rapper brings out the best in his collaborators, and cultivates an undeniable chemistry with those he works with. Out of all the collaborations he’s done so far, these are Nav’s top five collaborations from good to great:

5.) 'Some Way'- Nav ft. The Weeknd

Sometimes you have to know when to take a step back and let the boss handle it. On this track from Nav’s self-titled mixtape, he lets The Weeknd dive into the soundscape he crafted, which, of course, Lord XO himself uses to subliminally diss Justin Bieber and anyone else who has words for him. Just because he sings, don’t get it twisted: he’s about that action.

Nav concludes the track by bragging about his ascension to the “hills straight from the trap.” If you didn’t know any better, you would think this song is The Weeknd featuring Nav. Although, they both eat on this track—Nav on his verse and production, and The Weeknd on his verse and chorus.

4.) 'What Do You Do'- A$ap Ferg ft. Nav

A$ap Ferg had everyone singing “Plain Jane” when Still Striving dropped, but his collaboration with Nav is easily a gem from this mixtape. The trade lines on the hook, and each deliver verses about what they have to give- whether it’s a good time, or a gold chain. “What do you want” feels like a boast, but becomes a rhetorical question by the end.

Need I say anything else? I mean it’s “Asap with Xo, tell me what else do you want?”

3.) 'Car Sick'- Gunna ft. Nav & Metro Boomin

Gunna is quickly becoming one of Atlanta’s hottest rising acts. Drip Season 3 isn’t the first in the series, but it’s an introduction for many people to his style. On “Car Sick,” Metro Boomin and Nav throw him an alley-oop with this track’s sleek production and catchy hook. Who else was “born with all this drip?"

2.) 'Champion'- Nav ft. Travis Scott

Most recently, Nav transported listeners to his Reckless world with his debut album. This track with Travis Scott is a chart-topping hit waiting to happen. The track’s production feels grand and lustrous, while the hook conjures images of luxury and a getaway jet. Scott and Nav collaborated before on “Biebs in the Trap”, from Scott’s Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, but “Champion” is the duo’s best work.

1.) 'Wanted You'- Nav ft. Lil Uzi Vert

Before this track came out, it felt as though Uzi and Nav were doing some trial and error. There was clear chemistry on previous collaborations like “A$ap Ferg,” but no defining moment, or stamp on how good these two can be together. Luckily, they caught fire with this track.

It’s easily their best track together, but it’s also a contender for Nav’s best song to date. It’s incredibly relatable for his audience, and addicting to listen to. This track shows how high the ceiling is for his artistry when his listeners feel connected to what he’s saying.

Because quite often, the criticism of Nav is that he’s boring and repetitive. But as these collaborations prove, he can be much more than that.