The King of New York

Last week Hip Hop erupted into a frenzy behind six little words, when Kendrick Lamar proclaimed, "I'm the King of New York" He also called out all of the rappers in his class. This was a genius move on his part. He lit a white hot fire under a bunch of guys that have been waiting for an opportunity to return to relevance. Only a couple of the guys hat he actually called out dared to respond. The rest of the contenders were trying to restore the pride of the rightful birthplace of Hip Hop.


Being that I am part of the "Old School" generation I have been witness to my share of Beef. The word coined to represent an animosity between two opposing entities. One of the cornerstones of Hip Hop has always been the battle. A display of your dominance over an opponent in your area of expertise. I've seen breakdance battles, DJ battles, and graffiti battles. The most prominent form is the M.C. battle. One beat, two mics, and punchlines. Some say it traces it's roots back to the playground. The dozens, when you try to outwit another kid with the best "your mama" joke. With the advent of lyrical prowess, there had to be a way to decide who was the best.

In the real world you can't just say your the best, you have to prove it. Before Bentleys, platinum plaques and bling bling there were M.C.s. As in master of ceremony or like Rakim touted it stood for Moves the Crowd. the M.C. performed all over the city, showing off his skills and if anyone challenged him, he had to battle to prove his skills. Record sales, YouTube hits, what crew you were with, none of that mattered. Nowadays if you have a catchy hook or a great feature you can have a hit. Back then, the streets dictated your popularity. If you lost a battle or didn't rise to a challenge, everyone knew. Thus didn't go to you shows or bought your tape.

The Bronx, New York where roughly 40 years ago (this is still an ongoing debate) Hip Hop originated. Before East and West coast. Back then it was borough vs borough and in some cases neighborhoods. Some people were the best in Queens, but no one knew who they were in Brooklyn. To breakout, you had to become king of your borough then battle the king of another borough and if you beat enough opponents you were crowned king of New York. The problem is that in 1979 Hip Hop hit the airwaves that took it all over the country then the world. Being the King of New York didn't have much meaning anymore.

Over the years there was an unspoken belief the crown stayed in New York, because it was the birthplace. The late 80's were lead by New York and tri-state artists for the most part. There were always regional acts from around the country that made their mark, but never outdoing the East Coast artists. In the early 90's the dynamic began to change. The West Coast was gaining popularity. With the advent of Gangsta Rap, fans no longer relied solely on New York influenced rap for the grimy, reality laden rhymes of forever.

In the mid 90's there was resurgence of New York rap and pride. A new generation of acts came out of the 5 boroughs that redefined the sound and tone of modern rap music. They were lyrical, honest, and larger than life. The revolution was led by the Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay Z, and The Wu Tang Clan. With Biggie being the poster child for the New New York sound, he was immortalized as the King of New York. He was also caught up in East vs West Coast struggle that ultimately cost him his life. Since his demise there have been many candidates for the throne, depending on who you ask.

After the 2000's New York lost the relevance it once held. The South came in strong. The mid West also made a splash. The east and the West were held together by the same old slew of guys that started out in the late 90's and early 2000's. It wasn't until Kendrick Lamar came on the scene that new life was breathed in the same old West Coast. The first time I heard him on a track with The Game, I knew this kid was going to be around for a while. He hit the scene hard with a ground breaking mixtape then followed it up with a BET Award winning debut album. 

So now that he's on top he figured he could mix the pot a bit. Proclaiming himself the KONY wasn't really the problem. He was actually quoting another West Coast rapper. The title doesn't mean anything anymore. Anyone can call themselves that. What stung was where he calls out all of the rappers that have gained prominence over the past few years. Honestly I have no allegiance to any of the parties involved. I think some of them have a good song or two but no one really stands out to me. He also says that almost everyone else is putting out crap and that they need to bring their A game. What happened next was amazing.

Guys from every spectrum of the game were coming out of the woodwork. Guys that he didn't even name were trying regain the honor of the crown. Some of the guys he name also put mediocre entries into the response mill. I was surprised at the list. I wasn't surprised on how weak some of them were. In the end Kendrick always wins. He hit first, which always counts for 2 hits. At the this point guys are just trying to save face. This doesn't mean that I don't enjoy a good battle rhyme. Below I'll post the original track from Kendrick. The first Response from Joell Ortiz, and the best response from Papoose. After that I'll post select beef tracks from over the years. By the way I am the King of New York.

Kendrick Lamar - Control

Joell Ortiz - Outta Control

Papoose - Control Response

Kool Moe Dee vs Busy Bee

Ice Cube - No Vaseline (N.W.A. Diss)

Notorious B.I.G. - Kick in the Door (Guru Diss)

LL Cool J vs Canibus

Jay Z - Super Ugly (Nas Diss)

Nas - Ether (Jay Z Response)

Jadakiss vs Beanie Sigel

Jadakiss - Checkmate (50 Cent Diss)