Music Stars Who Launched Their Careers With Scene-Stealing Features

Nas, Snoop Dogg, Foxy Brown and other superstar cameos.

Taking Yo' Shine - The say luck is what happens when preparation and opportunity meet and many of our favorite artists have done just that. From Snoop Dogg and Nas to Mary J. Blige and Ashanti, take a look at some music stars who got a jump-start to their careers after delivering scene-stealing performances as guest features on tracks by other artists.(Photos from left: Ron Galella/WireImage, Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Inc, SGranitz/WireImage)

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Taking Yo' Shine - The say luck is what happens when preparation and opportunity meet and many of our favorite artists have done just that. From Snoop Dogg and Nas to Mary J. Blige and Ashanti, take a look at some music stars who got a jump-start to their careers after delivering scene-stealing performances as guest features on tracks by other artists.(Photos from left: Ron Galella/WireImage, Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Inc, SGranitz/WireImage)

School's in Session - Nas was discovered by Main Source frontman Large Professor, who recruited him to rhyme on the classic 1991 posse cut "Live at the Barbeque." Nas' line "When I was 12, I went to hell for snuffin' Jesus," no doubt one of the illest of all time, had hip-hop abuzz about the then 18-year-old rhyme prodigy from Queens. (Photos: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup; Al Pereira/WireImage/Getty Images)

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Main Source, Featuring Nas, Joe Fatal and Akinyele – 'Live at the Barbeque' - Large Professor and crew unleashed a hungry young emcee name Nas, who shined bright like a diamond on this 1991 posse cut. The Queensbrige kid has been on every hip hop head's tongue at least at one point ever since.(Photos from left: Adrian Sidney/ PictureGroup, Al Pereira/WireImage)

Paid Tha Cost - Snoop spent his post-high school years in and out of legal trouble, including a six-month stint for selling cocaine. But he started to turn things around when former N.W.A producer Dr. Dre and Suge Knight signed him to Death Row after hearing a demo he recorded with long-time homies and 213 bandmates Nate Dogg and Warren G.(Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Dr. Dre, Featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg – 'Deep Cover (187)' - Dr. Dre let the world know he was about to make a huge comeback after leaving N.W.A. and he did it with his new secret weapon and star Snoop Dogg, whom he pulled for this song off the soundtrack for the 1992 film Deep Cover. Afterward, Dre enlisted Snoop for multiple features on his acclaimed album The Chronic, and then Snoop dropped his own classic debut, Doggystyle.(Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Mobb Deep, Featuring Big Noyd – 'Give Up the Goods (Just Step)' - Mobb Deep's homey Big Noyd set up his solo career after going on a lyrical stick-up with his Q.B. brothers Havoc and Prodigy on their 1995 album, The Infamous. He had spit a feature for their debut LP, Juvenile Hell, but it was this verse, he said, that led him to a $300,000 record deal. He dropped his own debut in 1996, Episodes of Hustla, while incarcerated.(Photos from left: David Corio/Redferns, Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

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Mobb Deep, Featuring Big Noyd – 'Give Up the Goods (Just Step)' - Mobb Deep's homey Big Noyd set up his solo career after going on a lyrical stick-up with his Q.B. brothers Havoc and Prodigy on their 1995 album, The Infamous. He had spit a feature for their debut LP, Juvenile Hell, but it was this verse, he said, that led him to a $300,000 record deal. He dropped his own debut in 1996, Episodes of Hustla, while incarcerated.(Photos from left: David Corio/Redferns, Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

"Life's a B---h" - Nas and AZ traded rhymes brilliantly on Illmatic's third cut, and The Visualiza also cemented himself in history with arguably one of the best 16s of all time. Unfortunately, the gritty survival tale was never supplied with a visual canvas.(Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

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Nas, Featuring AZ – 'Life's a B***h' - AZ made history when he spit one of the best verses ever as well as one of the best scene-stealing performances when he set off Nas's "Life's a B***h." That was 1994. The following year, AZ dropped his debut, Doe or Die, to much critical acclaim. As he's had little commercial success, however, the Brooklyn-born MC is known as one of the most underrated, under-appreciated artists in the game.(Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

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Babyface, Featuring Toni Braxton – 'Give U My Heart' - Babyface introduced the world to his protégé Toni Braxton when they recorded the duet "Give U My Heart" from the Boomerang soundtrack. Her self-titled debut released the next year (in 1993) and has sold over 10 million copies.(Photo: La Face/Artista Records)

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Babyface, Featuring Toni Braxton – 'Give U My Heart' - Babyface introduced the world to his protégé Toni Braxton when they recorded the duet "Give U My Heart" from the Boomerang soundtrack. Her self-titled debut released the next year (in 1993) and has sold over 10 million copies.(Photo: La Face/Artista Records)

OutKast, Featuring Killer Mike – 'Snappin' & Trappin'' - Big Boi set up Killer Mike for the alley-oop as he let him get loose on OutKast's year-2000 album, Stankonia. Mike went on to appear on Jay Z's Blueprint 2 and released his own effort, Monster, his debut LP, in 2003.(Photos from left: Chris Jackson/Getty Images, Enrique RC, PacificCoastNews.com)

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OutKast, Featuring Killer Mike – 'Snappin' & Trappin'' - Big Boi set up Killer Mike for the alley-oop as he let him get loose on OutKast's year-2000 album, Stankonia. Mike went on to appear on Jay Z's Blueprint 2 and released his own effort, Monster, his debut LP, in 2003.(Photos from left: Chris Jackson/Getty Images, Enrique RC, PacificCoastNews.com)

Ice Cube, Featuring Yo-Yo – 'It's a Man's World' - Yo-Yo stomped into the '90s after putting Ice Cube and his misogynistic ways in check on the track "It's a Man's World" off his AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted album. Cube then lent his star strength to her debut, Make Way for the Motherlode (via the track "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo"), which, thanks to her continued messages of empowerment, is considered one of the best female hip hop albums to date.(Photos from left: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Ice Cube, Featuring Yo-Yo – 'It's a Man's World' - Yo-Yo stomped into the '90s after putting Ice Cube and his misogynistic ways in check on the track "It's a Man's World" off his AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted album. Cube then lent his star strength to her debut, Make Way for the Motherlode (via the track "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo"), which, thanks to her continued messages of empowerment, is considered one of the best female hip hop albums to date.(Photos from left: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Jay Z, Featuring Beanie Sigel, Freeway and Memphis Bleek – '1-900 Hustler' - Freeway bombarded his way into the Roc-A-Fella lineup after ripping his guest spot on Jay Z's The Dynasty, Roc La Familia. Afterwards, Hov signed the Philly spitter to a deal and returned the feature favor on Freeway's hit single "What We Do" alongside his State Property brethren Beanie Sigel.(Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)

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Jay Z, Featuring Beanie Sigel, Freeway and Memphis Bleek – '1-900 Hustler' - Freeway bombarded his way into the Roc-A-Fella lineup after ripping his guest spot on Jay Z's The Dynasty, Roc La Familia. Afterwards, Hov signed the Philly spitter to a deal and returned the feature favor on Freeway's hit single "What We Do" alongside his State Property brethren Beanie Sigel.(Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)

Father MC – 'I'll Do for You' - Mary J. Blige made a name for herself singing and appearing in Father MC's '90's hit "I'll Do for You." Her unmistakable, soon to be undeniable, voice was more than a hook; she went on to release her debut, What's the 411?, and carved out a new sub-genre, Hip Hop Soul.(Photos from left: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, Newsmakers via Getty Images) 

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Father MC – 'I'll Do for You' - Mary J. Blige made a name for herself singing and appearing in Father MC's '90's hit "I'll Do for You." Her unmistakable, soon to be undeniable, voice was more than a hook; she went on to release her debut, What's the 411?, and carved out a new sub-genre, Hip Hop Soul.(Photos from left: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, Newsmakers via Getty Images) 

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Jay Z, Featuring Foxy Brown – 'Ain't No N***a' - Before she became known as the Ill Na Na, Foxy Brown was featured on LL Cool J's "I Shot Ya (Remix)" with Fat Joe, Prodigy and Keith Murray, and Toni Braxton's "You're Makin' Me High" remix. She then went toe-to-toe with the fellas on The Nutty Professor soundtrack via Case's "Touch Me Tease Me" and Jay Z's "Ain't No N***a," the latter of which especially helped spark a bidding war that landed her over at Def Jam, where Jay would eventually strengthen his Roc-A-Fella legacy. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

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Jay Z, Featuring Foxy Brown – 'Ain't No N***a' - Before she became known as the Ill Na Na, Foxy Brown was featured on LL Cool J's "I Shot Ya (Remix)" with Fat Joe, Prodigy and Keith Murray, and Toni Braxton's "You're Makin' Me High" remix. She then went toe-to-toe with the fellas on The Nutty Professor soundtrack via Case's "Touch Me Tease Me" and Jay Z's "Ain't No N***a," the latter of which especially helped spark a bidding war that landed her over at Def Jam, where Jay would eventually strengthen his Roc-A-Fella legacy. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

Ja Rule, Featuring Ashanti – "Always on Time" - Ashanti sang her way to her first No. 1 hit on Billboard riding shotgun on Ja Rule's platinum single "Always on Time," and by the time her feature on Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" and her solo song "Foolish" dropped, she became the first woman to have three No. 1 tracks on the Hot 100 in the same week, a feat only previously achieved by the Beatles.(Photo: The Island Def Jam Music Group)

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Ja Rule, Featuring Ashanti – "Always on Time" - Ashanti sang her way to her first No. 1 hit on Billboard riding shotgun on Ja Rule's platinum single "Always on Time," and by the time her feature on Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" and her solo song "Foolish" dropped, she became the first woman to have three No. 1 tracks on the Hot 100 in the same week, a feat only previously achieved by the Beatles.(Photo: The Island Def Jam Music Group)

Trick Daddy, Featuring Trina – "Nann N***a" - Trina showed she was the baddest chick when she deboed Trick Daddy in 1998 for his thug smash "Nann N***a," the only woman's voice on his second album, www.thug.com. In part, thanks to the popularity of the single, Trina signed a deal with Slip-n-Slide Records and earned the title of "the most consistent female rapper of all time" from XXL magazine.(Photos from left: Peter Kramer/Getty Images, John Ricard / BET)

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Trick Daddy, Featuring Trina – "Nann N***a" - Trina showed she was the baddest chick when she deboed Trick Daddy in 1998 for his thug smash "Nann N***a," the only woman's voice on his second album, www.thug.com. In part, thanks to the popularity of the single, Trina signed a deal with Slip-n-Slide Records and earned the title of "the most consistent female rapper of all time" from XXL magazine.(Photos from left: Peter Kramer/Getty Images, John Ricard / BET)

Jay Z, Featuring Memphis Bleek – "Coming of Age" - Memphis Bleek broke out his string of blazing Roc-A-Fella features on Hova's 1996's "Coming of Age." In 1998, Bleek titled his debut album after the song and went on to release several more albums including 2000's The Understanding, which plays home to his highest-charting single to date, "Is That Your Chick," co-starring Jay and Missy Elliott.(Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)

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Jay Z, Featuring Memphis Bleek – "Coming of Age" - Memphis Bleek broke out his string of blazing Roc-A-Fella features on Hova's 1996's "Coming of Age." In 1998, Bleek titled his debut album after the song and went on to release several more albums including 2000's The Understanding, which plays home to his highest-charting single to date, "Is That Your Chick," co-starring Jay and Missy Elliott.(Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)

Yo Gotti, Featuring Nicki Minaj, Trina and Gucci Mane – "5 Star B***h" - Nicki Minaj set her career off as the go-to feature. She murdered tracks alongside the likes of Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Trey Songz, Ludacris, Usher and a host of others in 2009, like this Yo Gotti song released in November. By December of that year, she'd also appeared on Young Money's "BedRock" and "Roger That" and the following year she was on Mariah Carey's "Up Outta My Face," all before the Barb released her own debut single, "Massive Attack."(Photos from Left: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Jessica Alexander/Future Image/WENN.com)

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Yo Gotti, Featuring Nicki Minaj, Trina and Gucci Mane – "5 Star B***h" - Nicki Minaj set her career off as the go-to feature. She murdered tracks alongside the likes of Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Trey Songz, Ludacris, Usher and a host of others in 2009, like this Yo Gotti song released in November. By December of that year, she'd also appeared on Young Money's "BedRock" and "Roger That" and the following year she was on Mariah Carey's "Up Outta My Face," all before the Barb released her own debut single, "Massive Attack."(Photos from Left: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Jessica Alexander/Future Image/WENN.com)