Big Daddy Kane sits among the upper echelon of lauded MCs. As a member of The Juice Crew, the Hip Hop legend has carved out a legacy that includes multiple classic solo albums, including Long Live The Kane (1988) and It’s A Big Daddy Thing (1989). So when he says someone is great, he’s likely speaking facts.
On Tuesday (March 29), Big Daddy Kane shared an Instagram video of himself with Busta Rhymes and bestowed quite the honor on his peer. Speaking directly into the camera, Kane says, “Let me explain something to you. Real talk. Real quick, a’ight? Hands down, greatest flow in Hip Hop. And anybody that want to dispute me on this, this is what I want you to do. Listen to the original version of ‘Turn It Up’ from this man — the original version with the Al Green sample. I did this. Three times. Count it. This dude switched his flow seven times in one song. Fuck with that. Nobody’s doing that.”
Big Daddy Kane then turns to Bus-A-Bus and pretends to bow down before giving him a giant hug. Kane expounded on the topic in a statement to HipHopDX, saying, “Method Man has one of the greatest flows in Hip Hop. I love Biggie, Bone Thugs, Eminem, Slick Rick and Snoop flow. But none of them constantly changes patterns and speed as much as Busta. He uses his mouth like a piano on the track. Flows are untouchable in my opinion.”
“Turn It Up” arrived in 1997 on Busta Rhymes’ sophomore album When Disaster Strikes and, as Big Daddy Kane mentioned, contained a sample of Al Green’s 1972 single “Love & Happiness.”
But when issued as the third single from the album in the spring of 1998, the remix contained a sample of the ’80s television show Knight Rider theme song and was under a new title “Turn It Up (remix)/Fire It Up.” The song became Busta Rhymes’ third Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 10.
As for Busta Rhymes’ lyrical abilities, Big Daddy Kane isn’t the first and won’t be the last to applaud Bus-A-Bus for his talent. In September 2021, Fat Joe claimed everybody was too intimidated to do a Verzuz with Busta, even himself.
“Fat Joe scared to do Verzuz with Busta Rhymes and so is everybody else,” he said. “You gotta understand, sometimes you ever notice — you seen boxers and they knock everybody out? People be scared to fight those boxers.
“Busta Rhymes is gonna outrap, outperform anybody who goes up in a Verzuz with him. That’s a fact. Yo, Busta Rhymes nobody wanna get in there with you, man. You might have to be an honorary — they gotta give you the check for no reason.”
Fat Joe Claims 'Everybody' Is Too Scared To Do Busta Rhymes Verzuz - Including Himself
So far, nobody has stepped up to the plate to take on Busta Rhymes in a Verzuz setting. One of the more recent battles took place in December 2021 between Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia. Check back with HipHopDX soon for an interview with Gangsta Boo and find Krayzie Bone’s comments on the Bizzy Bone debacle here.
Busta would definitely smoke Mathers in a verzuz
He would smoke anyone period, why isolate Eminem? Why not say Jay-Z, or Nas? Love these people who create a false narrative. And before you assume no I’m not a Stan just a true hip hop head who appreciates artists for their diversity
Slim Shady can rhyme I think who ever he battles it will be really good. Race has nothing to do with it. I’m black from the Bronx and we know a lyricist when we hear one.
Honestly Lil Wayne vs Slim Shady would be great! They both can spit!
No he wouldn’t.
ELE2 IS A BEAST OF AN ALBUM
100 percent facts my guy
Long b4 u said it Kane….REALSHIT! check the flow on dat joint wit Mystical…
Those goofballs fucked it up when they didn’t wait for Busta Rhymes when it was supposed to be Busta Vs. Snoop. With all due respect to DMX, it’s a lot of other people who would have been a nice matchup with the Dog. But the fact that they haven’t been able to find anybody else shows that Busta Vs. Snoop is how it should have been. Busta was finishing up his album and couldn’t come so they replaced him with DMX. They should have let somebody else go in that slot and waited for that matchup.
Busta Verzuz Redman would be a good one. They both know how to rock the crowd and Redman wouldn’t be shooked by anything Busta brings. I still believe Busta would win but Redman, as far as the Verzuz concept goes is the only one that could give Bus a run for his money.
Nah, I love Redman. He’s one of my favorite rappers but did you see the Method Man Verzuz Redman? Redman catalog is short as hell when it comes to that kind of event. Fans like us love him, but that platform showed that he is still truly an underground rapper at heart. It was hard for him to try to put 20 songs out there that could move the crowd. Now a REAL battle? I think that would be a great one. But not Verzuz.
I definitely agree Busta has one of the most unique flows in Hip Hop, but I think Pharaohe Monch deserves a mention too. Nobody sounds like either of those two.