Jay-Z Talks Early Rap Battles with Big L, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes & GZA

jay-z lists rap battles he's had with other popular rappers
he won all of these battles
interview

[@Mikeso367]

Notice how he didn’t want to talk on battling L then said “ I’m not giving results” 😂😂😂 RIP BIG L

[@gonzalovazquez6418]

Jay Z sounded like a rookie compared to Big L. Now that’s facts.

[@bruceperez2283]

Big Kane didn't even menion LL cool Jay as one of the illest rappers. Big LL is for club banging songs and crowd with high heels.

[@arduhyp]

@@bruceperez2283 he is talking about Big L, not LL cool J

[@Mookaron]

@@arduhyp He's talking about both.

[@jamiejohnson1897]

​@@bruceperez2283bruh crazy Big L was for the streets and real hip hop heads

[@Psookpy]

@@jamiejohnson1897 for the streets? Got ur terminology wrong bruh 😂

[@callumw6031]

RIP to a true rapper Big L

[@bruceperez2283]

Jay-z is a freestyle and battle rapper who don't write his rhymes and has at least 10 #1 albums and one of the GOATS in Hip Hop and the first billionaire rapper!

[@tminusnyc2915]

Big L DEMOLISHED Jay. NO CAP.

[@ThaOGMT3]

so true homie round 1 was close round 2 L took my manz soul i waz like damn G RIP Big L

[@HatianHurricane]

@Fanny On my face WTF does that even mean?

[@4taAfondoo]

Word, Big L was straight 🔥

[@sleeperino3054]

Nah Big L just had punchier delivery with simple rhymes, so it appealed to more.

[@tminusnyc2915]

@@sleeperino3054 no dik rider, no.

[@lorislolo4118]

That's How You Know JAY Is a REAL MC.

[@290TheEmpireRecords]

Goin and battling everybody

[@jordandavis3867]

That was the norm back then buddy. To be a rapper and to make it in the industry you had to know how to battle and spit rhymes off the top of your dome.

[@OGT4204]

Jay z doesn’t have to say it, big L won lol

[@bruceperez2283]

@@OGT4204 Big L didn't win, he DIED.

[@tomascuello8310]

@@bruceperez2283 so?

[@everythingisconnected7932]

The results of those battles as been street lore for a while. Jay beat Busta in high school. Caught LL of guard with Jaz-O’s speed style. He beat Big L, though it was close. There’s a debate on if the battle with gza was a cypher or an actual battle. Regardless Jay outshined him. I’m not the biggest fan of Jay, but he was known battling.

[@arkaholicn1456]

I HIGHLY doubt Jay Z beat Big L

[@anatorres-ym8ke]

Its funny you listen to that 1995 freestyle they did and u can tell Jay-Z lost irl because he could barely keep up with L

[@VinceBond-ky2zt]

@@anatorres-ym8keyou dont even know how to listen to rap

[@povvoyage]

I wasnt there when he battled BiG L but i can confirm that rocafella had a heavy presence on 142nd st btwn lenox and 7th ave in harlem

[@Tain950]

I heard that Jay-Z got Busta back then do to Busta being really green back then. I cannot see Jay-Z beating Big L under any circumstance. Big L’s aggressive punch line style was just a lot more suited for battle rap especially at that time.

[@sw6xldn]

Jay Z is the greatest of all time, the work speaks for itself both Pre- reasonable doubt and after.

[@VANGUARDIANTV100]

No way he got GZA or Big L

[@SoulOfTheSouth]

@@arcticblue2ss471 The one you’re talking wasn’t a battle. That was a freestyle they did together. They went to a party and rode in the same car that same night. Jay talked about it on Hot 97 with Ciphasounds and Peter Rosenburg. Big L had a relationship with Roc-A-Fella.

[@krzysztof4607]

In radio freestyle you can hear quality difference in punches, Big L would body him

[@mo2k638]

He beat both cam’ron dame dash and mase were all there at harlem when jay battled big L

[@wysefavor]

He can’t beat odb tho…nor dmx

[@mrG2x]

Exactly nigga

[@Phantomuser13]

"Caught LL coming out the club" is hilarious🤣 was it a battle or a drive by?

[@Krumpavelli]

I’d pay GOOD money to see that GZA Hov battle no cap

[@koolkeithultra1715]

Could never fuck with the Gza

[@carlmuhammad3968]

Jay not telling it all with LL LL battled him Jaz O & Sauce Money that night & LL was giving it to them til he ran out of rhymes

[@donaldreese491]

Facts

[@290TheEmpireRecords]

While ran out of ryhmes

[@carlmuhammad3968]

@BOS HOOVER 3 coming@ him LL handled his business Jay wasn't seeing LL then & definitely not now

[@Phantomuser13]

damn...can you imagine being there to see that. history

[@deeward5572]

​@@carlmuhammad3968Lol...Real spit Fammm

[@REALHIPHOPLOVE24]

*GZA, BIG L AND LL COOL J DEFINITELY WON THAT BATTLE!*

[@Veloci_Traptor]

You cappin fool Jay was the best at battle rappin back then most MC's were scared to battle him

[@REALHIPHOPLOVE24]

@@Veloci_Traptor WHO WAS SCARED?

[@Veloci_Traptor]

@@REALHIPHOPLOVE24 Most all local battle rappers and MC's back then were scared to battle Jay because he was one of the originators. He been speed rappin since before 86 as his first time on a record was in 1986. When he met Jaz-O they fulled mastered the speed rap flow and came out with The Originators in 1990 which pioneered the speed rap flow which opened a lane for people like Das EFX, Twista, etc. When Busta Rhymes went to high school with JAY-Z, DMX, and B.I.G. he ended up battling Jay and admitted in an interview that he got smoked by Jay cuz no one was rappin like Jay back then and him losing that battle is what inspired him to become the best speed rapper today. There was a time where Jay was untouchable. Even DJ Clark Kent B.I.G.'s old personal DJ said that JAY-Z was a better MC than B.I.G. and that B.I.G. was a better rapper. Only one I could see him losing is Big L but he feel like he wouldn't pull up to L's block to battle him unless he knew he was going to win. Also L didn't master that flow until later on when Jay started to break away from the speed rap and develop the smooth flow we all know him for now around the time Reasonable Doubt was coming into fruition.

[@TheSub-SaharanAmericanLegend]

@@Veloci_Traptor You did know Jay struggled against Big L right? Just saying

[@masterkbar7]

@@Veloci_Traptor false

[@muanafanai4723]

Jigga is aight but i don't think he can beat Big L in a battle Big L is a monster when it comes to rap..

[@parasnandal5229]

word

[@amck72]

Back in those days Jay Z and Big L had similar rap styles. Jay used to rhyme fast then over the years he slowed his tone down.

[@DuceVasquez215]

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@michaelcox3353]

You know I think Jay's voice is unique, but I think it's also what holds back his bars from sounding good.

[@73radamez]

Props for seeking out competition. A lot of cats duck smoke.

[@ralphytigueremalo8476]

Big L wouldve definitely bodied him or anybody ...Big L different

[@CAM8689]

Jay nice but beat genius I dunno bout that

[@Megahustla313rd]

Yeah, I don't believe that either

[@mo2k638]

Megahustla33 he definitely beat the genius

[@ZeroGRacer]

GZA is more of a writer. Than a Battle Free Style Rapper type. Am a fan of GZA But I think Jay-Z might have won that.

[@elahosun2101]

no way in hell

[@mannyjchtaylor9069]

HELLL NO... HE NOT BEATIN THE GZA GENIUS

[@Zan_zelee]

Tell ‘em’ bout that early battle with the member from Bone Thugs

[@jabrielali5143]

He battle DMX too🔥🔥

[@barbaracheatham1503]

No I saw that battle on KZbin! He did not beat DMX. Jay even said watching X on stage , made him step his game way up. Cause X show was on Another Level

[@tayeuhuru]

He battled Bizzy bone too

[@Zan_zelee]

And we knoooooo what happen…

[@curryhd5031]

Yes...he got bodied by Bizzy

[@deeward5572]

​@curryhd5031 lol...Really bro?

[@wysefavor]

Jay z is GOAT..

[@DirtStarMaster]

“Whatchumacallit” was cam’ron. They had a falling out during the ROC era

[@shabazzali3988]

I don’t believe he even touched the Gza lyrically!!!! No way no how even without him giving results!!!!

[@Mr.toughguy481]

Gza not even the best out the wu,stop playing.

[@CAM8689]

@@Mr.toughguy481 bar for bar he might be its not method man

[@stillthekid333]

Jay's corny for name dropping LL when he knows damn right was him, Jaz-O annnd Sauce Money all spittin at L and L stood in that smoke.

[@chasenickles260]

Even canibus mention jayz battling LL in 2nd round knockout stop being a clown

[@gliterott]

Why?

[@deeward5572]

​@chasenickles260 Yea...He got smoked like J

[@chrisbodell895]

Jay z had big L killed because he wouldn't join jay z team and big l was throwing out Flamboyant record label his own we all know,like the. Dogs in the street

[@philb.1502]

Dude! Stop this irresponsible BS. What you're saying is GARBAGE and you know it! Jay isn't that type of dude!!

[@amck72]

Interesting, any proof Jay Z had Big L killed? I would love to read about it.

[@brashadcarr6759]

I doubt he beat big L but the others yeah

[@killabee4realg]

how is jay beating GZA i don't believe that

[@johnw3641]

Not the Gza. Lyrical swordsman

[@Tain950]

GZA and Jay-Z would’ve definitely been interesting. Big L not so much he just had a style that was a lot more suited for battle rap and would’ve been a stylistic nightmare for Jay-Z

[@Mokhtar20033]

Is there audio of that battle?

[@tiagodjalo8568]

I'm also trying to know if there's any audio

[@freelancer9073]

Hov had battle with X,Busta,LL and GZA ...Name other rapper who did something like that...

[@deeward5572]

And lost to them all

[@wysefavor]

You beat the genius bro ? Oh c'mon man! 😂😂😂

[@NevaSellmySoul]

GZA slaughtered Hov

[@jordandavis3867]

Mhmm Body bag and toe tag and everything. Jay Z can't box with Gza

[@TheFocuslja]

Yal was there?

[@danbridge8772]

Looxxx UK rapper lyrical/rhymes 🤙

[@16JayChris]

Jay vs GZA is a VERY interesting battle

[@LIVESTREAM19XX]

So nobody gonna say anything about all these black candles lit ? 👹

[@muanafanai4723]

What about Bizzy Bone that he lost to..

[@deeward5572]

Wow

[@zatamastudios]

🔥

[@thechildWITHOUTlove]

Big L hadda respect Jay z...they got a radio freestyle together...a big L spot with a jay feature 💯

[@pattvernon]

Big L helped “jay” get his start.

[@romant142]

How do u figure?

[@jamelledwards116]

He didn't beat LL

[@rikkidgermano9640]

He said he met LL when L came out the club?! LMFAO what kind of battle was that?! No m'fucker wants to battle when leaving the club. Jay must've been real thirsty back then to approach LL like that lol

[@djnation1148]

He sounds like Big L

[@yaouG1]

Copied him from toes to hair

[@djnation1148]

Frenk Lopez Yeah LOL he still a goat in my opinion

[@illastration1]

He wishes he sounded like Big L

[@brashadcarr6759]

@@yaouG1 he's older than big L

[@deeward5572]

Swagger jacker?

[@bpmgtshabane89]

😂😂I doubt he beat the Genius & BIG L man hell no LL was not one to take light situations too

[@jamiejohnson1897]

Bruh he probably lost to Big L too matter fact I know BIG L flamed Jay z

[@dagodp1799]

Wait? Sway where the Muslim mass was on bushwick Brooklyn ny he from the west side

[@masonldn8647]

No way jay neat the gza or anyone he said

[@meicealways5842]

What year was this

[@jjmak4831]

2002

[@james441]

2003

[@lazarorodriguez5161]

2002/2003 Before or After Blueprint 2...

[@edkbmr1]

Big L and DMX destroyed Jay Z. LL Cool J just ran out of rhymes after going at it with Jay Z boy. Nas toasted him

[@michellebell5652]

He on the flight log, when he talkin bout that I’ll check it out. It’s a wrap fam, my condolences to the Fans since cowards never apologize. #execution #blueprint

[@justaperson739]

But big l and jay z, it was a tie

[@pembomassive1394]

Big L killed him

[@matthewmann8969]

Jay got beat by L, X, And Nas

[@deeward5572]

And LL

[@Wutangkilla79]

Gza weren't a battler deck would've destroyed jay no doubt all the wu tang admits deck a killa in a battle and no way he beat big l

[@jaybreeze5263]

Man these dudes can't out rap jay, he battle big L, in his hood, of course they gone say big L won😂 if he was so hot, why he didn't have a deal, or any major commercial song

[@CAM8689]

Get off Jay's nuts...

[@kevinceballos2422]

Jay z did not win against Big L this bs, he lost the money he bet on the battle.

[@CoCre8ors]

Sway 🤣🤣🤣

[@alexbayardo7477]

Jay Z won every battle but just not Nas...

[@soramirez5473]

lol if you think he beat GZA

[@freakboy40]

LOL...Y'all can talk about what rap battles he won. Well, he is worth over 2 Billion dollars. What are those guys worth? He has the hottest chick in the game. I would say he won.

[@MrJesu84]

🤬