Where were you when Boi-1da debuted a new Drake and Roddy Ricch song, just moments before Hit-Boy responded with an unreleased Big Sean and Nipsey Hussle collab? —Jessica McKinney, This battle almost happened a few years ago, with $100K on the line. Kendrick is in a league of his own, obviously, but DAMN. And Diddy’s footprint in hip-hop culture is just as impressive. We wish both of these guys the best, and want them to work out their issues in a healthy way—in front of the whole world, on Instagram.
These battles have already delivered memorable moments that managed to briefly distract us from the daily onslaught of bad news we’ve been bombarded with lately. CB’s catalog as a featured guest might be a little more versatile. Complex dubbed Madlib the 2019 Producer of the Year due to his work on Freddie Gibbs’ Bandana, but his discography goes way deeper than that.
The latter had his day as rap’s best baby, but in 2020, Sada’s reign is only beginning.
You can check out Lil Uzi vs. security below. —Will Schube, battle addiction and mental health issues. May the best (country)man win. Alchemist most recently commented on a possible Instagram Live battle in an interview with Eliott Wilson, saying Madlib would “absolutely destroy me,” but here’s hoping this still goes down.
1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since “Macarena” in 1996 (the track also broke YouTube and streaming records). —Jessica McKinney. Mike Will also helped shape college and festival experiences with GOOD Music’s “Mercy,” 2 Chainz’s “No Lie,” and Juicy J’s “Bandz A Make Her Dance.” His musical output slowed down after producing Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA” and “Humble” in 2017, but he has enough music from the past decade to make up for that. His breakout year was 2009, when he parlayed Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” into work with the likes of Eminem and Birdman. This face-off is less about a winner and more about celebrating two hitmakers who have been such a large part of hip-hop music for nearly two decades.
Here’s the full history. But his real come-up came about 15 years later, when he began working with T.I. While the Live would get competitive, the duo could finish things peacefully by playing records from their joint album MihTy, which was released in 2018. They were responsible for the sped-up soul chops that turned the Harlemites into a worldwide sensation. Imagine London kicking it off with 2014’s “Lifestyle” (performed by Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug) followed by Metro’s “Jumpman” (Drake and Future).
Frequently joined by other rappers on the Mozzy label, BabyFace Gunna had multiple tracks featuring ShooterGang JoJo, Bussdown Bandy and Celly Ru.
Haters will call Cole corny, EarthGang OutKast rip-offs, and J.I.D as a rapper with much to prove.