A Ranking of Every Guest Appearance on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Nearly eight years after its initial release, Kanye West’s 2010 magnum opus, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, still captures my imagination in a way that few records ever have. Yet as dominant of a personality Kanye West has, and is, this record is very much a collective effort. On track after track, rappers and singers offer contributions, leaving their own mark on this album, even as they are all filtered through Kanye’s distinctive vision. Of course, some are better than others, ranging from the iconic to the negligible to the very, very bad, and I have taken it upon myself to sort the proverbial wheat from the proverbial chaff.

18. Fergie on “All of the Lights”
The lone bad moment on an otherwise flawless album. Fergie’s appearance here seems like it was taken from a completely different track with a very different mood and rhythm. It does not work at all and I wish it didn’t exist.

17. Chris Rock on “Blame Game”
While Rock’s skit did bring us the very quotable line of “Yeezy taught me,” it does not inspire repeat listening and I can’t remember the last time I listened to it instead of just skipping ahead to “Lost in the World.”

16. Jay-Z on “So Appalled”
Much less charming than his turn on “Monster,” for instead of a cheesy dad trying to fit in with the kids, he sounds like a grumpy dad chastising the kids, which is far less enjoyable.

15. Bon Iver on “Lost in the World”
It’s not bad; it’s just a rehash of his work on the previous year’s “Woods,” so more than the performance grabbing the listener, it’s the novelty of hearing it in a new context that is interesting.

14. Cyhi the Prynce on “So Appalled”
This is a verse where the story behind its appearance on the record is more interesting than the verse itself. Apparently, Cyhi was asked to do something for the song’s hook by Kanye, but ended up recording a whole verse, with Kanye not knowing of its existence until he was playing back the record. The verse itself is, like Jay-Z’s on “Monster” more memorable for its lyrical missteps than its actual quality. Nevertheless, several of the lyrics here have stuck in my mind for so long that I’ve developed a bit of an affection for the verse, with “a Trojan in my pocket/Matt Leinart” really standing out for me, personally.

13. Swizz Beatz on “So Appalled”
Swizz Beatz provides a murky sounding hook for “So Appalled,” which does a very good job of setting the mood for the rest of the track and all that follows in the record’s gloomier second half — even if his singing here is pretty indistinct, like almost anyone could have done just as well.

12. Bon Iver on “Monster”
The first time I listened to this song, I didn’t even recognize Justin Vernon’s voice, which is really a positive, since his more ethereal tones would fail to work on “Monster”; whereas his more aggressive and menacing stylings here work wonderfully with the rest of the track.

11. (tie) Teyana Taylor on “Dark Fantasy” and Dwele on “Power”
Taylor and Dwele on their respective featured tracks do more than serviceable jobs, but don’t really do much to set themselves apart, failing to leave a distinctive mark. They still do enough to make the song better than it would be without their contributions so it all works out.

10. Rihanna on “All of the Lights”
Rihanna just does what she does and, as always, it works.

9. Jay-Z on “Monster”
This verse is not necessarily good, but I have a soft spot for it due to its sheer absurdity. Jay-Z begins by just listing a variety of monsters from old time Hollywood movies — I’m kind of surprised the Phantom of the Opera doesn’t get a shout out — and it does not get any less strange from there. His claim to not get enough of love being the reason he is such a monster remains bizarre eight years later, but the oddity of the verse enhances the song, and the album in a strange way due to just how offbeat it is. It’s not hard to imagine what a better guest verse in his place would be like; however, it is hard to imagine one that would be as memorable.

8. (tie) Rick Ross on “Monster” and RZA on “So Appalled”
Both Ross and the RZA appear briefly, but memorably on these two tracks, adding a hint of levity to the proceedings as Ross amusingly refers to himself as a “fat motherfucker” and RZA pronounces “ridiculous” as “ridikkulish” several times. These appearances aren’t necessarily the most skillful yet they add a bit of color to their respective tracks making them more effective, and enjoyable, than they would be otherwise.

7. John Legend on “Blame Game”
John Legend delivers an emotive and moving turn on “Blame Game” that makes explicit the vulnerability that Kanye himself seems to be running away from on this track.

6. Kid Cudi on “Gorgeous”
Following his singing the hook on “Welcome to Heartbreak” from 2008’s 808s and Heartbreak, Kid Cudi returns to sing the hook for “Gorgeous,” and he does so well that I’m left to believe that he was born to sing on Kanye songs.

5. Raekwon on “Gorgeous”
Playing the elder statesman here, Raekwon captures the braggadocio that defines Kanye’s first three verses, but in a more low-key and less artful manner that befits the Chef’s general style.

4. Pusha T on “So Appalled”
A very good verse that Pusha himself notes as a “standout moment” for him in his career. It is a compelling display of surety and skill that has defined Pusha T’s work and may be the best verse on a very good track.

3. Rick Ross on “Devil In a New Dress”
Ross’ verse has very little to do with Kanye’s in the first half of the song, but his confidence and smooth flow makes up for the topical distance between the two halves of the song. It’s just fun, infectious, and irresistible.

2. Pusha T on “Runaway”
Pusha T plays the devil on Kanye’s soldier tremendously on “Runaway,” in a verse that required several rewrites as Kanye consistently implored him to be “more douchebag.” His performances alongside Kanye on SNL and the 2010 VMAs were great as well, giving Pusha a level of visibility never afforded to him before, helping establish him as a solo rapper after three albums and a bevy of mixtapes as a member of Clipse alongside his brother.

1. Nicki Minaj on “Monster”
One of the most iconic verses of the last decade and deservedly so. Minaj singlehandedly elevates “Monster” from a good track to an unforgettable one through her presence and performance. Her flow twists and turns as she adopts a number of voices and personas, showing an unbelievable amount of dexterity and skill. This verse was a genuine star making turn from her, and her ubiquity in pop culture over the last eight years starts here. It is the best guest appearance from the best album of the 2010s thus far.