Charlie Wilson has lived multiple lives as a musician. He spent decades fronting The Gap Band, struck gold again as a solo act with albums like Charlie, Last Name Wilson and Uncle Charlie, and heading into the 2010s, reinvented himself once more. By now, everyone should be familiar with the magic he brought to Kanye West’s “Bound 2” or Tyler, The Creator’s “EARFQUAKE,” but that barely scratches the surface.
In later years, his presence on songs by Big Sean, Don Toliver, and Aminé introduced Uncle Charlie to a whole new generation, one that might not have caught him the first time around. Don Toliver, for instance, gave us “ATTITUDE,” one of Wilson’s better — if not best — guest appearances, following their previous collaboration on “If I Did.” We’ve also heard the funk legend lend his voice to tracks like Guapdad 4000’s “Gucci Pajamas” and CHIKA's “Can’t Explain It,” proving he’s just as essential for artists today as he was in the ‘80s.
All that’s to say, Charlie Wilson has more than earned his flowers when it comes to features. With that in mind, REVOLT rounded up 11 of his best guest appearances over the years. Check them out below.
1. ATTITUDE by Don Toliver
Talk about a collaboration. Ahead of his fourth studio album, HARDSTONE PSYCHO, Don Toliver enlisted Cash Cobain and Wilson for “ATTITUDE.” The funk legend’s fingerprints are all over the track. First, there’s the sample of Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful,” where he and Pharrell delivered the “Oh, oh, oh, oh” opening. Then there’s the bridge, in which Wilson sang, “So baby, so baby, so give me good love.”
2. Break The Cycle by Big Sean
Better Me Than You introduced a grown-up, spiritually evolved Big Sean, one who prioritizes family, fatherhood, and inner peace above chasing hits. Nowhere is that clearer than on track four, "Break The Cycle," where the Detroit rapper explains how he's moved onto a "different cycle" mentally. A good chunk of the song’s power, however, comes from Wilson's vocals floating in the background as he repeats, "Come and lift me."
3. Bound 2 by Kanye West
“I know you're tired of lovin', of lovin' / With nobody to love, nobody, nobody,” Wilson sings as the soul sample of Ponderosa Twins Plus One’s “Bound” spins beneath him. As polarizing as he remains all these years later, Kanye West certainly didn’t disappoint production-wise on Yeezus. On “Bound 2,” which has a visual that notably stars Kim Kardashian, the Oklahoma native assists in one of the album’s most beautiful moments.
4. Gucci Pajamas by Guapdad 4000
Guapdad 4000 was early to recognize the power of a Charlie Wilson feature, at least for his generation. The Oakland rapper had him busting ad-libs about stolen PJs on "Gucci Pajamas." It’s probably the least serious song — aside from “Sweet Yamz (Remix),” which we mention later — the vocal powerhouse has hopped on, but it worked surprisingly well.
By the end of the Chance the Rapper-assisted collaboration, we’re treated to Wilson belting out lines like, “Oh, she won't, she won't, she won't, she won't give 'em back / She won't give 'em back, no, no.”
5. Can’t Explain It by CHIKA
CHIKA is a rapper whose artistry we seriously don’t appreciate enough, but Wilson does. He provided background vocals to the XXL Freshman alum’s queer anthem, “Can’t Explain It.” He knows how to make the most of a moment, and especially over The Rascals' production, it counts for something.
6. EARFQUAKE by Tyler, The Creator
“EARFQUAKE” may just be one of Tyler, The Creator’s most important songs on IGOR, if not across his entire catalog. The Odd Future artist’s greatest flex here is being able to do the chorus with Wilson. “Don't leave, it's my fault,” they sing. “’Cause when it all comes crashing down, I’ll need you.” We’re living in an era where artists hide features by design, so you’d be forgiven for not knowing Playboi Carti is on the song too.
7. Download by Lil’ Kim
If you loved Zapp’s original “Computer Love” featuring Wilson, Lil’ Kim’s more digitally obsessed take on “Download” might come as a pleasant surprise. Sampling the classic, she brought in the king of Auto-Tune, T-Pain, for the hook, as they croon about cyber surfing, Myspace, and shooting shots via Gmail, of all things. It was very of-the-moment at the time, with Uncle Charlie swooping in on the outro.
8. Sweet Yamz (Remix) by Fetty Wap
We’re usually over holiday albums and Christmas covers by the time December arrives, but Thanksgiving songs, much like the holiday itself, tend to get little attention or just get winged entirely. That’s part of what made Fetty Wap’s “Sweet Yamz” — a rework of Masego and Devin Morrison’s original “Yamz” — so great.
If it wasn’t already obvious, yams carry a double meaning here: the food and, well, tooshie. That only makes it funnier when Wilson delivers lines like, “Saw you standing with them yams on you, lady,” and “This is one special day, so pass me those yams and I’ll share.”
9. Roots by Aminé
Aminé has the pleasure of saying he’s worked with Wilson not once but several times. The R&B legend appeared on several different songs from Good For You, and a few years later, they reunited on Limbo for “Roots,” alongside JID. On the chorus, they compare being human to being a plant, something that still needs water, care, and room to grow.
10. No Phony Love by Nas
“If only I knew back then what I know today / She'd have never gone away,” Wilson sings on “No Phony Love.” Nas’ King’s Disease II cut about the one that got away, or, in the rapper’s case, the one he regrets letting go. It wasn’t their first time making magic, either.
11. Peaches N Cream by Snoop Dogg
Aside from the aforementioned “Beautiful,” it was tough picking just one Snoop Dogg collaboration to include here, considering they've made so many. Although “Peaches N Cream,” which appears on the West Coast legend's funk-inspired album, BUSH, is probably the most recognizable. Wilson gets a little more airtime on the Pharrell-produced track, using another delicious dessert as an innuendo for something entirely different.