If you're not careful, a voicemail you leave on someone's phone might end up on a rapper's project one day. For decades now, rappers have been utilizing the audio messages as project intros, outros, interludes and skits—remember Eminem's hilarious "Ken Kaniff – Skit"? As evidenced on songs like Chance The Rapper’s Acid Rap closer “Good Ass Outro,” released in 2013, some voicemails are personal and sugared. But on the contrary, others are just outright comedy.
The first obvious example comes from the Kendrick Lamar’s debut album, good kid m.A.A.d city. After an immaculate storytelling performance, the LP's intro “Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter” concludes with a voicemail from K-Dot’s mom. On the recording, she begs Kendrick for her car back so that she can go pick up the food stamps. His dad also makes a drunken appearance, but pops was only worried about actual dominoes—not the pizza chain.
A lot of these funny, inbox fillers come from mistresses, girlfriends, boyfriends, thirsting fans and everything in between. Though we shouldn’t laugh at their pain, what adds a level of humor is the fact that people are so willing to pour their heart out into the void. Drake’s 2019 Care Package cut “How About Now” features a prime example of this. On the record, a girl memorably claims that Drizzy dashed her “away like a cyattie” and “cheesed” her, which if you're not from Toronto, means she got played like a set of piano keys.
Dr. Dre gets busy with the interpolated answering machine notes, too. Among his best is the voicemail housed on “Fuck You,” off the 1999 sophomore album, 2001. The way said woman goes from calm to crying on a song that finds Dre and the team wanting nothing more than sex is wild.
There are plenty of voicemails in the game that will make you laugh even more once you hear the song its associated with. And it's even more of a reminder to hang up before the beep so you don't become victim on a song one day. Today, XXL some of the funniest voicemails on hip-hop songs. Check them out below.
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“Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter’s Daughter”
Kendrick Lamar
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“How About Now”
Drake
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“Fuck You”
Dr. Dre Featuring Snoop Dogg and Devin The Dude
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“One More Chance”
The Notorious B.I.G.
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“One Goal”
Joey Fatts Featuring Vince Staples
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“Dressed Like Rappers”
Isaiah Rashad
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“The Dude”
Devin The Dude
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“The Maestro”
Beastie Boys
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“Ballet”
Smino Featuring Bari
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“Hood Politics”
Kendrick Lamar