AC Interviews Big Daddy Kane At Essence Music Fest: BDK vs Rakim

[MrJazzHOP]

@sna2ke: very wise observations. What is being overlooked, however, is Rakim's "battle" abilities. Cats tend to forget that Rakim prior to "Paid in Full" had established himself as an exceptional street ("battle") rapper - beit Queens or Brookyln - he would instigate mind-expanding lyrical freestyles that had brothers buckling at the knees. Even today, Rakim blends and fuses the dopest metaphores with his signature flow, and while Kane is dope, few - if any - can step to The "R". Peace.

[sna2ke]

I THINK HIS POINT IS MISSED. if you give ra time to write he will create something very mind blowing. but Kane isnt to be messed with in a short period of time. he is to slick with words. Ra is indeed the god of rap, but kane is unbeatable battle rap style and if anyone thinks kane is just talkin smack, i dare you to listen to songs like lyrical gymnastics or terror in your era or the beef is on or this is how we do... with snoop. HE GOT MAD SKILLS and slicker word play. they r 1 and 1a.

[MrJazzHOP]

@dmajorhiphopproducer: I know what you'r saying; couldn't agree more. What cats don't understand - or blankly don't know - is that Rakim was indeed a "battle rapper" when he first cut his teeth in the Hip-Hop game. He was at the park and on the grind well before Paid in Full came out, and Rakim earned his stripes having to "battle" seriously talented MC's, and guess what: he never lost! That's gospel truth from the street. Cats were avoiding Rakim because of his lyrical prowess. God MC indeed.

[dmajorhiphopproducer]

i can't believe he said Rakim isn't a battle rapper. I love BDK but dude, "I ain't no joke" "follow the lead" etc come on man...

[Armando316]

Man, this is a hard battle to really decide. I mean, Rakim has the street rhymes and metaphors and Kane has the wit and the punchlines. I've gone back and forth on it and I slightly lean towards Kane, but I do think that Rakim is the greatest MC of all time. Even if he was to have lost a battle to Kane, I don't think that would sway my opinion.

[traydog40]

Kane is a lyrical master rakim is nice but is not a better mc than Kane

[traydog40]

I love rakim but he can't fuck with Kane lyrically

[MrJazzHOP]

Rakim is God, but I love Kane! He's a down-to-earth brother. Rakim and Kane hook up quite a bit and laugh about all the debates cats have been having over the years - hell, I have been having these talks with my crew for so long it's nuts. But Kane has already gone on record as saying that Rakim is "a brother from another planet; just can't touch him." Here he's asked who would "kill who"? He's playing up to the legend, the friendly battle. Because Hip-Hop thrives on it..it's good for the soul.

[UnitedPacci]

''who would kill who?'' hahaha

[callumbrowns]

KANE HAS TOO MUCH PUNCH LINES FOR RAKIM *, BUT RAKIM HAS SOLID LYRICS, ITS A HARD 1 LOL *

[LyricalKnight1]

@HeadHipHop I think your appraisal of Ra is dead-on. Ra's lyrical brilliance is unmatched. Ra was so far ahead of his time that the world had to wait for Nas before anybody could really understand what Ra brought to the game. I remember the headlines: Nas is the second-coming of Rakim. Damn! Ain't no other rapper ever been passed the torch with those kind of honors. Yeah, Rakim.

[MrJazzHOP]

@MoxicoMC: impossible? Try more than possible. "Let The Rythm Hit Em" still crushes Mc's wanting to step to The God. And Rakim's punchlines are legendary: "I can take a phrase that's rarely heard, flip it, now it's the daily word." Just a dope brother. As I say, Kane is Dope - seen him, love him, but Rakim is just nasty when it comes to rhyme skillz, use of similies, bending words and creating vivid architectural pictures in his raps!

[MrJazzHOP]

@MoxicoMC: Nah, Kane can't step to the God, are you kidding?! It's not even a question about personal prefernce, but just plain native knowing! Rakim's lyrics to Follow The leader, Musical Massacre, The Punisher, etc, kills anything Kane has laid to wax. And I love this brother, always have, but Rakim is not called God for nothing. There's no higher title in Hip-Hop.

[MoxicoMC]

KANE is that shit!!!!!! A true warrior and no one can match him...Lyrically its impossible...

[MrJazzHOP]

@KTHREE31: It would be a harmonious result, a gratifying one, if these two brothers went to battle and came out with a "tie" result. But cats really underestimate Rakim's street skillz - he CAN battle, and with old skool joints like Musical Massacre, No Competition - Rakim canes Kane's ass, no disrespect to this brother, 'cause I love him. Then there's Let The Rythm Hit 'em. Lyrically, no brother has lyrically up-staged Rakim....these jewels secure him as God MC, aint no competition. Peace

[KTHREE31]

WOW! eYe Kan't B-leev KANE, RAKIM wud B at least a tie if not better in a battle. However RAKIM has more quality songz.

[d7j28c68]

@reggiemuch Im a fan of both and cant declare a winner, but if you think all Kane had was booty rhymes your trippin...Listen to Niggas never learn, Beef is on, and Put your weight on it, which was in my opinion a response to Ra's Lyrics of Fury.

This would have been like Mayweather vs. Pacua or whoever you spell it.

[d7j28c68]

Classic.. Kane handled the question like a vet....

[Wolffang1100]

RA was dope,but his rhymes were more about you visualizing what he said.Kane gave you a different variety of styles and topics while RA went hard most of the time.In a battle Kane would destroy RA,and I never heard about Raking battling anyone.Kane G rap krs 1,and others yeah,and Lyrics of fury is my favorite Raking song.Hands down Kane is all around better than RA,they just had two different approaches.Raking said Kane and G rap was his measuring sticks,so he wrote rhymes based of them

[reggiemunch]

The PUNISHER, LYRICS OF FURY just to name a few are battle records! Kane's correct it wouldn't have been any competition cause he(KANE) can't compare or compete! Ra changed the game while Kane JUST played!!!LOL

[reggiemunch]

Kane was very commonplace back in the day! He had good delivery, but truthfully he wasn't sayin shit that was mind-blowing. He was a decent rapper with booty attributes:" My rhymes are like spandex they make any ass look good." RA was original, innovative, intelligent, complex, and thought-provoking. He mastered so many horizons:"My unusual style/Will confuse u all-WILD/ If I was water- I'd flow in the NILE"

[keith196333]

Ra goes down in history as one of the greatest mcs to step foot on the planet.But sadly to say he was not in the same category as Kane. BDK was the ultimate mc - he had it all: charisma, lyrical content, metaphors, stage presents, sense of humour just to name a few.

Ra was my favourite rapper and still one of my favourites but when BDK came on the scene he absolutely blew my mind with true magical rhymes!

[rjvernesto]

it would be spectacular if a battle happens b/w kane & ra !

[90mv]

whats that ? actual competitive spirit ? bout damn time

[hulkdaddy71]

I'm all in on that one H-H-H.....The only thing is that if the battle took place in the late 80's-mid 90's we know the God MC would destroy Kane.....and I fucks with Kane too......If it happened today he would win because noone checks for fluidity, flow, lyrical content, etc.......Kinda like when Nelly "batltled" KRS......pure heads know KRS killed his career....But to others they say he killed Kris...The REAL Hip-Hop...is Ova HEEERE!