As the Verzuz platform continues to sizzle, another potential idea for the next showdown has surfaced. Not long after Swizz Beatz teased a Drake versus Kanye West face-off, Rakim is now calling out Big Daddy Kane for a classic Hip Hop head-to-head.
On Friday (August 7), the God MC posted a black-and-white Instagram photo of Kane and himself with a giant “V” in the middle.
The caption reads, “Do it for Hip-Hop??? @officialbigdaddykane @verzuztv @thegodrakim #TheGodMC #Rakim #RakimAllah #TheR #The18thLetter #TheMicrophoneFiend #MicrophoneFiend #FollowTheLeader #EricBandRakim #EricB #PaidInFull #TheSeventhSeal #BigDaddyKane #Verzuz #SwizzBeats #Timbaland.”
The proposed battle between the two Hip Hop legends yielded plenty of excitement on social media, but nothing official has been confirmed by Swizz nor his fellow Verzuz co-founder Timbaland.
Eric B. & Rakim’s seminal album, Paid In Full, was released in 1987 and has a string of classic cuts to pull from, including “I Ain’t No Joke,” “I Know You Got Soul” and “Eric B. For President.” The duo’s sophomore effort Follow The Leader arrived a year later and produced songs such as “Microphone Fiend” and the title track. It was followed by 1990’s Let The Rhyme Hit ‘Em and 1992’s Don’t Sweat The Technique, which provide another 23 songs for the currently mythical battle.
John Coltrane Blew Rakim's Mind One Day — & His Rhymes Were Never The Same
Meanwhile, Big Daddy Kane launched his career in 1988 with Long Live The Kane and followed up with It’s A Big Daddy Thing a year later. The Juice Crew MC dropped five additional albums, culminating with 1998’s Veteranz’ Day.
The Verzuz Instagram Live series kicked off in April with RZA versus DJ Premier. Subsequent battles have included Erykah Badu versus Jill Scott (so far, the sole event with only women), Teddy Riley versus Babyface and, most recently, Rick Ross versus 2 Chainz.
Last month, Apple Music teamed up with Verzuz to make the viewer experience ever better. Episodes are now simulcast live on Apple Music and Beats 1 simultaneously as the Verzuz Instagram Live channel and exclusively available via Apple Music on-demand following the live stream.
I’m all the way the fuck IN!!
Bring it on Rakim !! Bout time baby
Woooooooooooooooow….do a freestyle battle too just to settle the longest running debate in hip hop history which is who is better between Kane and Rakim!
Uhhh no. Kanes catalog can’t match up with Rakims. Rakim is better off going against KRS One.
Back in the 80’s these two would start corner and park arguments. This battle is 31 years in the making!
Rakim vs KRS ONE would be ultimate.Edge to KRS One
Nah. KRS has one or two tracks that aged well. He is a legend, but all of that dancehall buck buck shit doesn’t fly anymore.
Hmm you need to listen back to albums like Criminal Minded or Return of the Boom Bap. They still sound fresh.
When and were, Rakim is the only reason I rhyme until this day ..and i’m a house dj from chicago …that produce hip hop because of this man ……..
Kane vs LL Cool J would be sick,don’t sleep on Uncle L.He’s a know battlerapper.Kool Keith vs Kool G Rap would be sick
Can’t believe this is the same site that also boasts a headline titled “Lil Uzi Vert shows off his ATV skills by popping a wheelie”. Btw, I think Kane would win overall out of this. He had better individual tracks.
Oh oh oh, I’d watch this.
Fuck a “verzuz”. How about a real rap battle with new lyrics playfully dissin’ each other. That’s hip hop.
Fam, they not ready for that truth
That’ll be THE greatest thing to happen this millennium in HipHop
Rakim is a legend. He is famous for not being able to freestyle though. Not a battle rapper. I think R has more memorable shit, but Kane is a better battle rapper/freestyler AND overall has better tracks. This is basically Coke vs. Pepsi.
Definitely top 20 if not 5 mcs. I would love to see a 3 to 5 new song battle. Diehard fan of both but I give Rakim the edge on hits, classics, and quotables.
Kane catalog is better..KRS vs Kane better versus
He got a better chance on the Mic but KRS woul beat both
This comment is a joke
Your out of your mind. Rakim is one year prior and stretched well into the 90’s. DJ Tiger did a smash up of the two and believe me Rakim came out on top. I still wanna see KRS vs LL which I honestly believe KRS would stand firm against LL
Kane vs KRS1 would be fun I’m sure Kane would bring his best cause he knows Kris will plus that’s the battle Kane wanted early in his career , I like the LL vs KRS lots of good albums between them or even LL vs Kane hmmm
EPMD vs Pete Rock and CL Smooth or MOP
EPMD has better overall tracks than both. MOP isn’t even in the running as far as classics etc, plus, they go outside of their group for beats (primo).
You would need another two man group like or better yet NWA cause dra and cube still rap, ren was okay matter of fact REN and
Dre are equal so that’s better or NWA vs MOP strictly street.
I would go EPMD vs Organized Konfusion . Lyrically EPMD may not have been the best but production wise and cameos and they introduced us to Redman, Keith Murray and others too many groups and individual rappers they helped beat wise E sermon is a,monster I like him better than timberland he’s slept on and you forget a lot of his production
Like Premier, we know Dr. Dre but Dj Premier like Erick Sermon has,tons of beats with famous people we didn’t even know. Its like for us older heads who know and heard of Full Force the r&b group whose worked with modern singers but we don’t know ex. Brittney Spears and Justin Bieber
When people not from the culture write articles they give wrong information as if they are correct…
Verzuz first IG Live was Tim & Swizz then the Dream & Sean Garrett
Please allow people who live the culture report factual info or use Google
Rakim will win this, Kane is dope but Rakim another level.
No I respect Rakim but he’s not a battle rapper, Kane came from that.
Rakim could destroy him with bars. Remember the Nas vs Jay Z battle? Jay Z was also a battle rapper and Nas did not really have a battle rap background like Jay but Nas washed him. I think the outcome would be similar. Rakim had enough incredible bars to destroy BDK. This would be a real tough battle, but bar for bar I’d give it to Rakim. Remember that bar he had ‘I don’t snit Kane to get raw’ that was just a warning up stuff. I love both, but I really think Rakim would eat him.
Why do people say rakims not a battle rapper every song rakim made he ripped mc’s in half I don’t get what y’all hearing or seeing, and Kane did the samething rap versus just like the R. So were do you see the different and who the hell did can battled to call him a battle rapper
Perhaps the best comment I’ve seen so far. “….I don’t get what y’all hearing or seeing..”. EXACTLY! Dude let their memories ONLY go back to the aura and presence of Rakim and not the depth of his lyrics battle-wise. It’s like the dudes who have to be led to water with obvious punchlines while letting the more complex blows go over their heads. Shit—- even the straight up battle rhymes and lines are somehow missed by these dudes. I don’t know if they are blinded by bravado or what, but it’s sloppy as fuck! Salute!
This is a REAL hard one to call. As far as memorable shit, maybe R. Bar for bar, track for track, I have to go with BDK. Both are on my top 10. In no particular order:1.BDK, 2.Rakim, 3.Biggie, 4.Pac, 5.Nas, 6.Jay-Z 7.Big Pun 8. MF DOOM, 9.Eminem 10.Andre 3000. That’s not in particular order. Hate all you want, it’s a solid list.
One of the most solid lists I’ve seen. Salute.
Not sure why anyone would hate on that list. I think most everyone would say MF Doom and Big Pun are the two most questionable entries mainly due to popularity with Doom and longevity with Pun. But who the f can hate on Doom and Pun??? I’d take both those guys over Kendrick, LL, KRS-1, Wayne, and the Wu. But they also deserve some consideration among others.
This is a cool list. I do have a few differences I would make if it were mine. I gotta have DMX, , Scarface n Ice Cube on my list of greatest rappers. . I would take out Pun, Biggie, Doom n Jay Z. I gotta find a spot for Method Man, ODB and Snoop, so I guess my list would have to be a top 15 or 20.I am looking at longevity n actual body of work. Biggie only had 2 CDs n him n Pun died too early before being greater. I would have to consider some of the now guys like Kendrick Lamar n J Cole.
My money is on the God Rakim, BDK is fire but I feel Ra will take this one
People saying Rakim wouldn’t wint because he wasn’t a battle rapper and BDK was think again. If they battle on record it would all come down to who had the better bars. Rakim is known for his lyrics and bar for bar he would easily take out big daddy Kane. There is a reason Rakim was called the God. Kool G Rap vs Rakim would be a tighter battle. Big Daddy Kane is definitely in my top 10,but I wouldn’t straight away put him at 1.
That’s not why he’s called the God, man you better do your homework. The reason he’s called that because of his ethnic cultural lifestyle that he lives. Research the gods and the nation, Five Percent and they’ not a gang either
If he was actually a God MC he would’ve responded to Tech N9ne when he droppd a diss track bodying him called “Blown Away” God MCs don’t duck.
This would definitely be an epic battle,I think it can go either way,but my,money is on Rakim. I was 15 yrs old when Paid in Full release one of my all time classic albums!
Rakim wins.
LL vs Someone would be good.
Zz.
Jay z another mythical type battle we never got but keep hearing stories about and have heard the sneak disses back and forth for long enough that wld be great to see too
Hi EPMD vs UltraMagnetic MCs a better match
Erick Sermon vs Ced Gee on the beats
Kool Keith still raps as well as E Double perfect,battle
Beat wise I heard Ced Gee was a production master., the only person on his level than was Kurtis Mantronix . I read you give these guys brand new production equipment (back then a TR 808 was new) less than a month they’re doing thing the manufacturers didn’t even know could be done
I’ll put my production team of Mantronix, Ced Gee, Dj Premier, Teddy Riley & Erick Sermon, Dj Jazzy Jeff vs Dr. Dre, Timberland, Scot Storch and whoever not beats but technology wise
I’m from 1987, but grew up listening to hip hop, from being around my older cousins. I have mad respect for the emcees that paved the way. The only reason why I commented because it was good to see the comments from the OGs. This is the first time in awhile I’ve seen so many actual responses on here, that captured the essence of what hip hop is about. Rakim and Big Daddy Kane gave birth to alot of rappers styles. Without Rakim, there would have been no Nas. No Jay-Z without Kane. When they had their beef, to me it brought up the question of what would have happened if Kane and Rakim battled. Im all for it in the name of Hip Hop. Peace
That’s my pic Rakim reposted, I need my Don King percentage lol
Even though Rakim gets more overall credit, I got Kane in a 1-on-1. Raw, Smooth Operator, Ain’t No Half Steppin, Nuff Respect, Terra Nya Era, Brother Brother, Very Special, Warm It Up Kane… hell I know I left off a bunch. My man Kane for that big W. I’m only given Rakim I Ain’t No Joke, Microphone Fiend, and Don’t Sweat the Technique.
Don’t forget Mahogany and Melody and Paid in full
You’re forgetting this is for the listener , lyrics of fury , move the crowd , know the ledge , paid in full, eric b President, follow the leader, as the rhyme goes on, i know you got soul,
This will be ?
I’m old school graduated 1987 white fella nobody got more props than rakim
This needs to happen
Bullshit article. Kane has asked for this battle TWICE already. The first time was when he responded to a Fat Joe question if he would battle Ra and the second was when he told Swizz Beats to make it happen. This type of nonsense only happens in Hip-Hop. You just get anybody to write crap without even a tiny bit of research.
Dont forget…. I got soul
Peace! It’s the God! Al Sabir Black Seven Magnetic Allah! I’m entering this group or whatever it is! I just want you to know that I am a writer, I got bars as well! Some times people don’t want you to write/ rap/ freestyle!?
Is this an actual battle or are they just playing songs against each other?
Verzuz is a battle of music catalogues
Hit vs hit and the public decides who had the most hits
I think this would be a good battle. 2 legends of hip hop. We shouldn’t have to wait till they’re gone like Nipsey, Mac Miller, and others to appreciate them.
Comparing Nipsey and Mac Miller to Rakim and Big daddy kane is like comparing dumpster water with Champagne.
These old fucks still alive????? Hahahaha no one wants see these senile clowns battle!!
stfu dumb hoe!
Spoken like someone into this generation of non-lyricists. These simplistic simple-minded loudmouths, likely mumble-rap lovers reveal their deficiencies every time.
Rakim sucks! Boring ass grandpa raps that make me wanna zzzzzzzzzzzzz
u must already be asleep
This is a mastermind idea and I would like to see this if there is a link to watch it. Youtube or zoom. I love both lengds, but Gomar Oz Dabar has my heart. Taking Allah.
rather than correct the article, they’d rather delete my comment. fuckboy shit. again, RZA vs Preemo wasn’t the first Versuz battle. It was Swizz Beatz vs Timbaland.
“I’ll take seven M.C.’s, put ’em in a line. Then add seven more brothers, who think they can rhyme. But it’ll take seven more before I go for mine… Now that’s twenty-one M.C.’s ate up at the same time.” Rakim Check out my melody.
Whoever living large better wear camouflage or prepare to dodge when I yell charge.
The God MC
Kane ain’t fkn with Rak
Top 10
1. Pac
2. Rakim
3.Jay Z
4. Kool G Rap
5. Biggie
6. Scarface
7. Ice Cube
8. B. Segal
9. Nas
10. Nature