Post by Big-D on Apr 23, 2006 15:54:06 GMT 1
Following the deaths of Tupac and Biggie Smalls, hip hop found itself in a state of shock. Many wondered whether, in the escalating atmosphere of violence that seemed to permeate contemporary hip hop music, could MC battles still exist peacefully. It wasn't until LL Cool J and Canibus decided to revive the artform that MCs were allowed to reenter the lyrical ring. The battle began when LL featured Canibus, Method Man, DMX and Redman on the song "4,3,2,1" in 1997. Canibus contributed a verse, which included the line "L, is that a mic on your arm? Let me borrow that" (referring to LL's microphone tattoo). LL, perhaps feeling offended, wrote a response intended as the next verse. Before the song was released, LL asked Canibus to change his verse. Canibus claims that LL also promised to remove his own response ("The symbol on my arm is off limits to challengers, [....] Watch your mouth, don't ever step out of line/L.L. Cool J nigga, the greatest of all time"). LL denies this, claiming that he told Canibus that no one would know who he was talking about if Canibus' verse was changed. Nevertheless, Canibus removed his verse and the song was released. However, the original version began surfacing on the streets and people started piecing together what had happened. This put Canibus in the uncomfortable situation of whether to respond to LL's initial verse, even though both had already settled their dispute. Fan pressure soon got the best of Canibus however, and he launched an all-out attack on LL with the single "Second Round K.O.", the video which featured a cameo by Mike Tyson. The video also held a striking resemblance to LL's, now famous, Mama Said Knock You Out video. LL's response was titled "The Ripper Strikes Back," where he attacks not only Canibus, but Mike Tyson, Wyclef and the rest of Wyclef's crew, the Fugees. LL then followed that with another track entitled "Back Where I Belong," where he accused Canibus of stealing his rhymes, and pretending to be from New York, when he was really from Canada. Canibus responded to both songs with the track "Rip The Jacker".
Wyclef Jean (the frontman for the critically acclaimed hip hop group, The Fugees) was also Canibus' producer. As a result he found himself pulled into the feud. Wyclef responded to LL's initial attacks in "The Ripper Strikes Back" with his own song "What's Clef Got to Do With It," which featured super model Naomi Campbell. LL responded with the underground track "Rosta Imposter." Fellow Fugee-member, Lauryn Hill later released the single "Lost Ones" from her album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." Although some misinterpreted the indirect disses as attacks to LL Cool J, it later surfaced that the song, like much of the rest of the album, was in fact a criticism of Wyclef.
Although Wyclef and LL Cool J have since ended their rivalry, there is still assumed to be tension between LL and Canibus. Both artists have at least aluded to the other in not-so-flattering ways in later albums. Most recently, LL revisited the fray in "10 Million Stars" from his album entitled 10:
Double up your bets
Come and rumble with the vet
I know you had that clown picked
Mind blowin now, cause L still sounds sick
He dreamed he was me
I gleam lyrically
I love him for it it's the highest form of flattery.
source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_rivalries
Wyclef Jean (the frontman for the critically acclaimed hip hop group, The Fugees) was also Canibus' producer. As a result he found himself pulled into the feud. Wyclef responded to LL's initial attacks in "The Ripper Strikes Back" with his own song "What's Clef Got to Do With It," which featured super model Naomi Campbell. LL responded with the underground track "Rosta Imposter." Fellow Fugee-member, Lauryn Hill later released the single "Lost Ones" from her album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." Although some misinterpreted the indirect disses as attacks to LL Cool J, it later surfaced that the song, like much of the rest of the album, was in fact a criticism of Wyclef.
Although Wyclef and LL Cool J have since ended their rivalry, there is still assumed to be tension between LL and Canibus. Both artists have at least aluded to the other in not-so-flattering ways in later albums. Most recently, LL revisited the fray in "10 Million Stars" from his album entitled 10:
Double up your bets
Come and rumble with the vet
I know you had that clown picked
Mind blowin now, cause L still sounds sick
He dreamed he was me
I gleam lyrically
I love him for it it's the highest form of flattery.
source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_rivalries
