With the entire world on lockdown, rappers and producers alike have been forced to think outside the box. Luckily, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland came up with the idea to launch Verzuz, a series in which legendary hip-hop figures face off against one another in a friendly competition. And while the events themselves have been few and far between, many have since used the format to debate their own what-if scenarios, with Elliot Wilson of Rap Radar recently musing on a possible Jim Jones Vs. Cam'ron matchup.
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Wilson took a moment to field the question to Jones himself, during a FaceTime conversation with the Dipset veteran. Though rappers are generally known to be a confident bunch, Jones showed humility by admitting that Cam would likely take the win. "I think Cam wins," says Jones. "You gotta figure, how many platinum records and singles does Cam have? You got records with Kanye, "Really Mean It," "Oh Boy," "357." It's just way too much heat that Killa's got."
"He started his solo career way before I started mines," continues Jones. "He's the one we all started rapping after. I watched him rapping since were in high school. Undeniably it would be Killa. He got some great records and he got a great catalog. His catalog is a little bit more extensive than mines due to the fact he started it solo career before I started mine. Then we rolled into The Diplomats and lo-and-behold, Jim Jones creeps up out the crevices. I'm grateful to even be mentioned within that category when it comes to doing music."
Westside Gunn Reveals Status Of Kanye West Collaboration
Westside Gunn and Kanye West have formed a great relationship in recent times.
The rise of Griselda has been beautiful to watch, especially for those who've been longing for street-centric bars to come back into the mainstream. Though it feels like the majority of consumers are more interested in doing the "Toosie Slide," Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, and Conway have earned the respect of the hip-hop community at large by doing things in their own way. Carefully meshing together the worlds of high fashion and the streets, they've received nods from major designers like Virgil Abloh and even artists like Drake who's rumored to have a song with the Griselda collective in the cut.
Another artist who's connected to both Virgil and Drake has given Griselda the stamp of approval and that's Kanye West. Westside Gunn recently spoke to Elliot Wilson for TIDAL's Check In IG Live series where he revealed that he and Kanye have had plans to cook up for a while. In fact, he said that he and Kanye were supposed to lock into the studio in Cabo but unfortunately, with the current pandemic, they had to push their plans back.
"Ever since [Sunday Service], we talk every other day," he said before revealing that they've really developed a solid friendship. He explained that they had plans to go to Cabo after heading to Wyoming but unfortunately, after taking the PJ back to Los Angeles, the COVID-19 outbreak occurred.
"We just stay in touch and we just buildin', man. So, me and Ye, we about to be working. You know, it's wild. He's not doing no swearin' or nothing like that on records no more," he said. "All that shit is true. I heard the new project that nobody heard. Crazy, it's crazy. Much respect to 'Ye. Even though he's not cursing, it still sounds dope. The production is still crazy."
Peep the entire clip below.
Royce Da 5’9" Talks "The Allegory," Yelawolf, And Lord Jamar On Rap Radar
Royce Da 5’9″ opens up about “The Allegory,” developing as a producer, and his current stance on Yelawolf during his new Rap Radar interview.
Following the release of his entirely self-produced album The Allegory, Royce Da 5’9″ has continued his epic press run with a conversation on Elliot Wilson and B. Dot Miller’s Rap Radar. Within the opening moments, it becomes clear that Royce’s artistic vision stretches well beyond lyricism; the way he speaks about crafting a cohesive sonic vision, tailoring his beats to best convey his chosen message.
“When I get beats from people, I always look for the proper marriage between the vocal and the beat,” he explains. “That proper marriage is not created through the best rap that you can say or the best beat you can make. It’s created through the right marriage. It’s about hearing the beat and decided–” He remembers seeing footage of Jay-Z reacting to Timbaland‘s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” instrumental in the studio. “[Jay] was in there, he took a stab at it, and I remember some of the delivery not being as sharp as when he finally finished it,” says Royce. “Then the recut made it perfect. That beat is phenomenal, but it may not go down in history as the best Timbaland beat. But because of what they did together it’s classic.”
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Around the 15 minute mark, Elliott asks whether Royce ultimately regrets taking to social media to air his grievances, specifically pointing to the time he called out Lord Jamar on IG Live. “I don’t have regrets with that,” says Royce. “The only thing I can honestly say I would probably switch around is anything I might have said he could have taken offense to in terms of feeling disrespected. I never want to disrespect OGs. I never want to say anything that might come across as wanting to take away from his legacy. I respect him, I respect Brand Nubian…It’s just difficult to be able to say that and still disagree with something he might be saying.”
“It’s not like I had to defend Em,” he continues. “I spoke about things when my name as mentioned. The only time I challenged him was on Twitter, I challenge him on some cool shit. I felt like I kept it respectful.” Miller jokes that he didn’t keep it respectful for Kid Rock, prompting Royce to double down. “I don’t respect Kid Rock,” he says. “I feel like everybody should be allowed to say what they want to say and feel how they want to feel. As long as everyone is willing to stand in the center of their truths if they get held accountable. I’m personally someone who is going to hold you accountable if I feel disrespected.”
Wilson praises the way he held Yelawolf accountable on “Overcomer,” and Royce elaborates on his seemingly hardline stance. “I consider him a friend. I hold my friend to a certain standard…I don’t ask for respect, we give respect and we get respect. If I say something about somebody on a record and I’m taking a friendly jab, it’s all in fun.” Wilson asks whether he thinks the weight of his words landed on Yela, and Royce nods. “He knew exactly what was going on. He didn’t feel the need to make a phone call or call me and clarify anything. He feels entitled. Just like he reached out to me when the antics wore out — that’s the same entitled behavior.”
Check out the full conversation below, and be sure to support one of the game’s greatest lyricists right here.