Thieves In The Night

Jazz and Hip-Hop. If you haven't made this connection yet, you're about to. Sorry in advance for the history lesson.

Both of these African-American musical styles came into being and were popularized during the 20th century in the United States of America. Both draw heavily from other musical styles, including Blues, R&B, Pop, even Country and Folk. Both became popular music, dominating dance floors and youth culture in their heyday. Both emphasize rhythms, specifically African rhythms. And most importantly, both have a culture of improvisation. These genres are brothers, and while most laypeople don't think about the two together, artists from both fields are continuously embracing the connection.
Thieves In The Night, from the 1998 collaboration album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, exemplifies this mutual respect. Listen to the original. It's a literature and jazz infused masterpiece. I'm going to link you to a live version however.
The band here is the Robert Glasper trio, and this is how I think Hip-Hop should be preformed. Real, talented musicians, playing their instruments. There's improvisation here from everyone on the stage. Pay special attention to Chris "Daddy" Dave on drums. This group works with Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) frequently, and I can't think of anything healthier for both genres than more collaborations of this sort. Enjoy.

Robert Glasper Trio ft Mos Def: Thieves In The Night