As two of the greatest rappers out of New York to ever pick up a mic, and with their willingness to perform and compete out of love for the culture, it was a given that Freddy and Jason face off in a Verzuz matchup to see whose lyrical sword cuts the deepest, once and for all. Aside from minor technical difficulties during the tail-end of the battle, this edition of the Instagram Live event continued the seamlessness of previous battles, with Jada and Fab proving that R&B and gospel artists aren’t the only ones who know how to put on a show in an effective fashion.
In this matchup, Jadakiss went first for the first ten rounds, with Fabolous responding with his own selection, before switching the rotation for the final ten rounds, with Jadakiss answering with a song of his own. The evening, which included backstories behind each artist’s most popular records, friendly, albeit competitive banter, and countless trips down memory lane for the viewers and those commenting in the chat, is one that rap fans will remember for quite some time and is a testament to Fab and Jada’s staying power and music contributions to the culture. Here’s a round-by-round breakdown and recap of the Verzuz battle between Jadakiss and Fabolous, along with who we felt walked away as the victor when all was said and done.
Jadakiss wastes no time throwing down the gauntlet, as he lets off his verse from “Blackout,” his collaborative effort with his LOX brethren, JAY-Z, and DMX, from the latter’s 1998 LP, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. In return, Fabolous contests Kiss’ opening pitch with a freestyle, which ultimately pales in comparison to Kiss’ memorable posse-cut
Winner: Jadakiss
ROUND 2: The LOX’s “Recognize” vs. Cassidy feat. Lil Wayne & Fabolous’ “6 Minutes” DMX feat. The LOX & Jay-Z’s “Blackout” vs. Lil Wayne feat. Fabolous & Juelz Santana’s “You Ain’t Got Nuthin'”
Sticking to the Ruff Ryders era of his career, the raspy one comes through with “Recognize,” the standout, DJ Premier-produced cut off The LOX’s sophomore LP, We Are the Streets. From there, Loso draws another lyrical miracle out the deck via “6 Minutes of Death,” his scorching showing alongside Lil Wayne and Cassidy from Cass’ I’m A Hustla album, which lands with impact, but falls short of a deafening blow in this matchup.
Winner: Jadakiss
ROUND 3: Nas feat. Jadakiss & Ludacris’ “Made You Look (Remix)” vs. Lloyd Banks feat. Fabolous, Kanye West, Swizz Beatz & Ryan Leslie’s “Start It Up”
Having captured the momentum early on, Jada continues to run up the score by tossing Nas’ “Made You Look (Remix)” out on the table. Fabolous makes a valiant attempt to put some numbers on the board with Lloyd Banks’ 2010 single “Start It Up,” and although the track itself is a certified street banger, it’s no challenge for one of the most memorable remixes of the early aughts.
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 4: Jadakiss’ “By Your Side” vs. Fabolous feat. P. Diddy & Jagged Edge’s “Trade It All Pt. 2”
Having secured the first few rounds in convincing fashion, Al Qaeda Jada lets his foot off the gas, throwing out one of his more beloved deep cuts, “By Your Side,” from his sophomore LP, Kiss of Death. His back against the ropes, the captain of the Street Family resorts to his grab-bag of hits, pulling out the Jagged Edge and Diddy-assisted summer smash, “Trade It All Pt. 2,” giving the Brooklyn Don his first round of the bout.
WINNER: Fabolous
ROUND 5: The LOX’s “All For the Love” vs. Fabolous feat. Kobe’s “Imma Do It”
Faltering a bit in the previous round, Jadakiss returns fire with his solo selection from The LOX’s ’98 debut, Money, Power, & Respect, which Fabolous ironically jacked for his Friday Night Freestyles series, five years ago. In turn, Fabolous fails to regroup, misfiring with “Imma Do It,” an underwhelming offering from his Loso’s Way album, accounting for one of the more lopsided rounds in this edition of #Verzuz
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 6: The LOX’s “Chest 2 Chest Freestyle” vs. Fabolous’ “Keepin’ It Gangsta”
Jadakiss goes out of the confines of the rules a bit by unleashing a vintage freestyle over Showbiz & A.G.’s “Next Level (Nyte Tyme Mix),” which pairs his bars with DJ Premier’s sonic craftsmanship. While a strong selection in its own right, it gets outgunned by Fabolous’ early street anthem, “Keepin’ it Gangsta,” adding another point to the Brooklynite’s scorecard.
WINNER: Fabolous
ROUND 7: Ruff Ryders “WW III” vs. Fabolous feat. Junior Reid’s “Gangsta Don’t Play”
When in doubt, Jada seems to mine material from his Ruff Ryder catalog to gain an edge against his opponent, this time drawing “WW III,” the star-studded battle royal featuring Scarface, Snoop Dogg, and Yung Wun, out the deck. In turn, Loso misplays his hand, deciding to strike back with the Junior Reid-assisted “Gangsta Don’t Play,” a solid composition on its own merit, but no threat to the Ryde or Die Vol. 2 compilation.
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 8: Noreaga feat. Big Pun, Nature, Cam’Ron, Jadakiss & Styles P’s “Banned From TV” vs. Fabolous feat. Jay-Z & Uncle Murda’s “Brooklyn”
Looking to further increase the distance between himself and his opponent, Jadakiss goes for the jugular with “Banned From T.V.,” Noreaga’s epic posse-cut featuring New York’s prized rookie class of 1998. Fabolous, who continues to struggle to find his footing, mails it in with “Brooklyn,” which is an admirable display of his pride for the thoroughest borough, but does little to move the crowd, in this scenario.
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 9: The LOX’s “Blood Pressure” vs. Fabolous’ “Young OG”
Sticking to the script, Jadakiss caters to his core base once again with “Blood Pressure,” his murderous solo outing from The LOX’s We Are the Streets album. Fabolous, who has yet to play off of his versatility or track record as a hitmaker, goes with “Young OG,” a favorite from his Soul Tape series, again failing to answer the bell.
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 10: Black Rob feat. The LOX’s “Can I Live” vs. Jeezy feat. Fabolous & Jadakiss’ “OJ”
For the last round of the first half of the #Verzuz proceedings, Jadakiss picks “Can I Live,” as his last shot before skipping to the showers for half-time. An opportunity to grab an easy basket before retaining the rock after the half is squandered by Fab, who again misfires with a lackluster counter, in the form of “OJ,” a record that actually includes an appearance from Jadakiss himself.
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 11: Fabolous feat. French Montana’s “Ball Drop” vs. Puff Daddy feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes’ “Victory”
For the second half of this #Verzuz battle, Fabolous gets the first possession and rises to the occasion with “Ball Drop,” his festive, French Montana-assisted NYE anthem. However, Jada, who’s history as the pen behind some of Diddy’s biggest hits is well-documented, goes left-field, playing Diddy’s verse from “Victory,” effectively snatching this round from the jaws of defeat.
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 12: Meek Mill feat. Fabolous & Anuel AA’s “Uptown Vibes” vs. Sheek Louch feat. Jadakiss, Styles P & J-Hood’s “Mighty D-Block”
After spending the first half of the battle attempting to steal rounds with sleepers, Fabolous finally decides to lean on his strengths, which is delivering high-octane radio hits and club banger. However, being that he’s now on the offensive, his appearance on Meek Mill’s “Uptown Vibes” gets quelled by “D Block Anthem,” giving Jadakiss an overwhelming advantage over his Freddy vs. Jason costar on the scoreboard.
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 13: Fabolous feat. Nate Dogg’s “Can’t Deny It” vs. The LOX’s “F–k You”
For Round 13, Fabolous lands a haymaker, using 2Pac’s “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” instrumental to incorporate his breakout, 2001 hit, “Can’t Deny It,” into his playlist. While Jadakiss claps back with the incendiary We Are the Streets cut, “Fuck You,” the Nate Dogg-assisted “Can’t Deny It” is too strong of a record to be denied.
WINNER: Fabolous
ROUND 14: Fabolous feat. The-Dream’s “Throw It in the Bag” (Remix) vs. Jadakiss’ “Knock Yourself Out”
With the majority of his winning rounds coming off the strength of his high-charting singles, Fabolous looks to rely on that formula, coming through with the Drake-assisted remix to his 2009 single, “Throw It In The Bag.” Unphased, Jadakiss brings out “Knock Yourself Out,” the equivalent of his big joker, for neutralization, stealing yet another round.
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 15: Fabolous’ “Young’n” vs. Ghostface Killah feat. Jadakiss’ “Run”
Fabolous takes it back to his throwback jersey and tilted brim days with “Young’n,” one of the biggest singles of the rap star’s career. Not to be outmatched, Jadakiss goes with “Run,” his collaborative effort with Ghostface Killah, for this round, but falls short of landing the knockout punch.
WINNER: Fabolous
ROUND 16: Fabolous’ “You Be Killin Em” vs. Puff Daddy feat. The Notorious B.I.G., Lil’ Kim & The Lox’s “It’s All About the Benjamins” (Remix)
Just when Fabolous looks to have cracked the code to victory, Jadakiss comes through with a record that’s simply too seismic and timeless to overcome. This occurs yet again in Round 16, when Jadakiss counters Loso’s 2010 smash, “You Be Killin Em,” with “All About the Benjamins,” one of the definitive rap records of not only the Bad Boy era, but the ’90s as a whole.
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 17: Fabolous feat. Ne-Yo’s “Make Me Better” vs. DJ Clue feat. Jadakiss & Mary J. Blige’s “Back 2 Life 2001”
Despite finding himself in a deficit, Fabolous remains vigilant, keeping Jadakiss honest with formidable salvos like his Ne-Yo-assisted chart-topper, “You Make Me Better,” which he pulls out in Round 16. Jadakiss shows love to his Yonkers comrade Mary J. Blige by spinning “Back 2 Life 2001,” their collaboration from DJ Clue’s The Professional 2 album, but it’s not enough to overcome one of Fab’s smartest chess moves of the night.
WINNER: Fabolous
ROUND 18: Fabolous feat. Mike Shorey & Lil Mo’s “Can’t Let You Go” vs. The LOX feat. Timbaland & Eve’s “Ryde or Die, B—h”
In one of the more stylistically intriguing rounds of the night, Fabolous deploys “Can’t Let You Go,” his syrupy, 2003 hit, “Can’t Let You Go,” featuring Mike Shorey and Lil Mo, while Jadakiss goes with The LOX’s 2000 single, “Ryde or Die, B—h” featuring his LOX brethren, Timbaland and Eve. While “Can’t Let You Go” was the bigger Billboard hit, reading the room is an invaluable skill when participating in a #Verzuz battle, and according to the demographic and expectations of those tuning in to see these particular artists face-off, “Ryde or Die, B—h” is the more enticing offering, all things considered.
WINNER: Jadakiss
ROUND 19: Fabolous feat. Tamia’s “Into You” vs. Jaheim feat. Jadakiss’ “Diamond in da Ruff” (Remix)
As the battle winds down, and with Jadakiss having all but secured his bragging rights, both artists choose to play off of one another’s selections, with Jadakiss answering Fabolous’ “Into You” with “Diamond in da Ruff (Remix),” a sleeper of a gem in his catalog. However, “Into You, which is universally regarded as one of Fabolous’ signature records, nabs him a latter round
WINNER: Fabolous
ROUND 20: Fabolous’ “Breathe” vs. Jadakiss feat. Styles P’s “We Gonna Make It”
For the final round in the battle between Freddy and Jason, Fabolous unleashes what may be his biggest trump card with “Breathe,” one of the most impactful street anthems to come out of New York City in the past twenty years. Luckily, for Jadakiss, he still has one more trick up his sleeve, which turns out to be “We Gonna Make It,” his beloved duet alongside Styles. P from his 2001 solo debut, Kiss Tha Game Goodbye. Two of the biggest rap records to hit the streets of New York. “Breathe” and “We Gonna Make It” are seemingly impossible to choose from, resulting in the lone draw of the night.
WINNER: Draw
Devoid of any bad blood or shade, Jadakiss and Fabolous were content playing to the Verzuz crowd and enjoying the moment, particularly Jadakiss, whose level of intoxication visibly rises throughout the proceedings, giving the battle an even more light-hearted feel. While Fabolous, whose laundry list of Billboard charting lead-singles and guest appearances, didn’t play his best hand this go-round, there were a few moments during the battle that reminded the viewers of his versatility as a songwriter with a catalog of unsung gems. For his part, Jadakiss, the winner of this Verzuz edition, by all accounts, played to his strengths, relying on the sheer amount of blockbuster posse-cuts and guest verses on his resume. Following the battle, each artist’s DJ let off a brief medley of each artists’ biggest records and fan favorites that didn’t make the cut of their playlists, ending the night on a respectful and celebratory note.
Source
The post Babyface And Teddy Riley’s Botched Instagram Live Battle Proves Less Is More appeared first on All things here.
