Hip Hop is a global phenomenon that connects people across countries, cultures and languages. From its roots in the Boogie Down Bronx to its current status as a worldwide movement, the genre has never been confined by borders. As its reach has grown, so has the range of languages now contributing to its story. When U.S.-based artists incorporate foreign vernacular into their lyrics, they create a unique blend of culture that sets a song apart from the rest.

Some rappers use different languages to honor their heritage, which brings a personal layer to their lyrics and invites listeners into their world. Others use foreign phrases to connect with fans from around the globe. This creative use of language expands the genre’s horizons and challenges listeners to appreciate lyrical artistry in new ways.

Multilingual verses are a testament to Hip Hop’s limitless potential and global appeal. They are a timeless approach to connecting people in ways that typical rhymes can't. Below are 13 examples of when MCs moved beyond the English vocabulary to get their point across.

1. “Collard Greens” by ScHoolboy Q featuring Kendrick Lamar

On his verse for ScHoolboy Q’s Oxymoron standout track, Kendrick Lamar decides to provide some carefree vulgarity. “Hold up, b**ch! This yo' favorite song/ Translation: Ven aquí, mami, ese c**o/ Tú quieres c**er mis h**vos, y papi me desespero/ C**parse p**o p**dejo, el p**che c**rón,” he raps. “I gave y’all a cute record,” he joked about the hit in a Power 106 interview when asked about his Spanish skills. Simply put, this one isn’t for the PG crowd.

2. “Morocco” by French Montana

For those not familiar, French Montana’s origins lie not in the United States, but in the North African country of Morocco. As such, the Casablanca-born MC cheered on his home country during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the team finished in fourth place. In celebration of the sport, French dropped off a genre-bending cut which features the former Bad Boy Records signee delivering his lines in Arabic — one of the few languages he is fluent in.

3. “Narco Trafficante” by Kevin Gates featuring Percy Keith

Found on THE LUCA BRASI STORY (A DECADE OF BRASI), this hard-hitting cut saw Kevin Gates at his lyrical best. In addition to its multilingual chorus, “Narco Trafficante” contains an intro that closes on a fairly humorous note — one that only this Louisiana star could deliver. “Yo, me llamo Luca Brasi/ Yo mato por nada/ Yo tengo muchas pistolas, c**rón/ Yo tengo cocaina, marijuana y lo que tu necessita/ Numeros bueno,” he states before adding, “If you having trouble translating what the f**k I just said, go get Rosetta Stone/ P**a, p**dejo.”

4. “Only You Freestyle” by Headie One and Drake

While he tends to keep his bars in English, Drake’s always been a cultural chameleon — which was the case when he teamed up with London’s Headie One for the U.K. drill banger “Only You Freestyle.” Not only does he hold his own on the infectious beat, but the Toronto native even taps into some Middle Eastern vibes early on in his verse. Speaking to a beautiful woman on wax, Drizzy raps, “Arabic ting told me that I look like Youssef, look like Hamza/ Habibti, please, ana akeed, inti wa ana ahla.” The latter part of that stanza cleverly translates to, “My love, I’m certain you and I look better together.”

5. “Lights On” by D Smoke featuring SiR

Spanish teacher-turned-popular artist D Smoke quickly made a name for himself by showcasing his bilingual talents on the Netflix series “Rhythm + Flow.” Sometime after that, he delivered the critically acclaimed Black Habits LP, which boasts a wealth of tracks that feature the language. However, in his most notable multilingual effort, “Lights On,” he teams up with his blood brother and Top Dawg Entertainment crooner SiR. “Mi carnal está a mi lado like Pippen and Jordan or like Gasol and Mamba,” D Smoke declares in honor of the collaborating artist.

6. “Mamushi” by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Yuki Chiba

For MEGAN, Houston’s biggest hot girl linked up with Tokyo star Yuki Chiba, formerly known as KOHH, on the runaway hit “Mamushi.” Throughout her verse and chorus, Megan Thee Stallion switches to Japanese to describe her hard-earned wealth and success. As REVOLT previously reported, Megan spoke about the collaboration in a livestream. “Yuki was not playing with my a** in that studio,” she shared. “He was like, ‘You have to say it like this.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ I said, ‘Yuki, how do I tell these h**s [that] I get money?' He thought that was so funny.”

7. “Dejanbem” by Kodak Black

Kodak Black is a proud Haitian American, and he’s revealed his ability to speak Creole, specifically Kreyòl, at different points throughout his career. This was certainly the case on “Dejanbem,” a melodic jam from the aptly titled Haitian Boy Kodak. “Senyé, senyé Ede'm, m'beswenw,” the Floridia star says in direct reference to his faith. “M sonje ou, marenn, senyé pa lage'm.”

8. “Head Honcho” by Eminem featuring Ez Mil

Shady Records signee Ez Mil has the distinction of being born in the Philippines. As he regularly showcases in his music, the now Las Vegas-based rhymer effortlessly switches between English and his native tongue when rapping. One example of this was his appearance on Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) standout “Head Honcho.” In it he raps, “Just wait 'til we get the guns out, kwarenta-singko na kalibre o nuwebe, 'kaw na bahala.” No wonder he got Slim Shady’s attention.

9. “SLR 2 (Super Lupe Rap 2)” by Lupe Fiasco

This entry has to be the most questionable and confusing, yet — given the fact that it’s Lupe Fiasco — it's hard not to see it as intentional. After a fan requested a response from the Chicago rapper to Lamar’s “Control” verse, he delivered “SLR 2 (Super Lupe Rap 2),” a whirlwind of lyrical wordplay for his core base. About midway through, the record producer briefly enters into what sounds like German gibberish before explaining, “That was Adolf [Hitler] reacting to [his] new s**t” and “translating” the line in question to, “How come he can't be as evil as Lu get?/ Well, that's cause you ain't Lu, b**ch.”

10. “Dealing” by Jay Electronica

Jay Electronica was in top form on “Dealing,” a track from his What The F**k Is A Jay Electronica mixtape. As with much of his discography, the New Orleans MC mixes effortless braggadocio with pointed references to the scriptures he follows. In closing out the last verse, he provides listeners with this multilingual gem: “Ruckus and ra-ra, made my rhymes mantequilla/ Livin’ leyenda, numero un contenda [sic]/ Never let a day slip by without agenda/ That's just a little jewel from Farrakhan to remember/ So, que te pasa?/ Representando por la raza, n**gas wanna step but, they legs too short to salsa.”

11. “Blow Your Mind” by Redman

The legendary Redman made a permanent mark on the Hip Hop world with Whut? Thee Album, his official debut body of work. The project houses “Blow Your Mind,” in which he humorously attempts a couple of Korean lines before giving up. Even better: that same LP had a remix where he sticks the landing on the same international bars. “The part with the Korean translation was done by Sophia Chang — she used to work at Jive Records a long time ago,” the New Jersey DJ explained in Brian Coleman’s “Check The Technique.” “She’s Korean and I asked her [to] write that part for me. I told her to talk about weed and women. You know, the s**t I do. And she did.”

12. “America” by K’naan

Somali Canadian star K’naan knows plenty about the United States, especially after his time in New York City. It was presumably then when he linked with Brooklyn’s own Yasiin Bey, formerly Mos Def, and Chicago native Chali 2na for one of Troubadour’s most powerful standouts, “America.” In addition to a smooth introductory conversation, K’naan uses the joint effort’s chorus to deliver some lines in his native language. “Waa aniga orodneey/ Nabad dheynee!/ Mareekan waa laga soo waayey,” he chants. Which translates to, “Remember us fleeing/ Searching for peace?/ In America, none was found.”

13. “Sang Fézi” by Wyclef Jean featuring Lauryn Hill

“Ki ayisien kap di'm map mache New-York san fezi,” Wyclef Jean asks on “Sang Fézi,” a Lauryn Hill-assisted cut from his timeless 1997 album, Wyclef Jean presents The Carnival featuring Refugee Allstars. While his Fugees collaborator breaks out singing in English for her contribution, the Haitian American talent raps in Haitian Creole throughout the offering, even for one of his hardest verses to date. While he mentions Brooklyn — where he first immigrated to — you have to give Clef respect for repping Croix-des-Bouquets to the fullest while also keeping things very Hip Hop.