S. Samuel
ROUND TWO: Hitmakers DJ Premier and DJ Scratch hop off their turntables and face-off for a real emcee battle. Whose list gets the props? You decide who faces off against Round 1 winner Big Pooh
| DJ SCRATCH’S PICKS | | | DJ PREMIER’S PICKS |
|
|
|||
|
Melle Mel. Man, Melle deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He goes without saying. Just listen to “The Message”. That song is so far ahead of its time. He has so many bodies of work, but it’s just that one record that’s so amazing and ahead of its time. Just “The Message” alone puts him in there. |
 |
|
Melle Mel is the first rapper on my list. Melle Mel was the first one to talk about how gutter the ghettos were. Even though he’s political with it, you can still party and dance to what he’s talking about. Even to this day, when his music comes on, you dance to it. |
|
LL Cool J. LL Cool J needs to be in the Hall of Fame as well. LL Cool J is the greatest of all time. He’s the most consistent and the only artist that’s completed a record deal from start to finish. He has the most platinum albums. He’s LL Cool J. He’s the only emcee in hip-hop who has battled everybody and never lost. Undefeated. |
 |
 |
Chuck D, that’s another one. He’s another one in my Top 5. When “Don’t Believe The Hype” comes on in the club or even “Rebel Without A Pause”, they’re talking about the government and everything else but you still listen to it. Definitely gotta keep Chuck D in there. |
|
Busta Rhymes. I say Busta Rhymes, stopping at his fourth album. He’s electrifying. Probably the best live performer in hip-hop to this day. And he’s one of the most charismatic artists in hip-hop, carrying that old school tradition into the new school. |
 |
 |
Kool Moe Dee is my third pick. I loved those battles from back in the day, [as well as] his wordplay. I loved how he had his own little style. Even when you look at the shades he would have on. He had his own style to what he was doing. He’s one of the first ones who took battling to the next level. He just wouldn’t stop. He’d just keep going and going [during] battles. It was like trying to stop the Terminator. That’s what Kool Moe Dee is. |
|
Q-Tip. He’s a genius. I’m not sure if people knew this but he’s an incredible off-the-top freestyle emcee. He’s also another electrifying performer. |
 |
 |
Number four I would have to say Chubb Rock. He’s a National Merit Scholar, one of the illest lyricists ever in hip-hop. I mean, ever. This guy’s got flows, he can dance. I’m going from experience and witnessing this sh*t. |
|
Man, it’s so many. Grand Puba is my final pick. Come on. Just think back to his lyrics. Grand Puba, then Brand Nubian. He’s also one of the most underrated producers in hip-hop. He actually produced the Brand Nubian album. |
 |
 |
My final pick would definitely be Guru. Sh*t. If you take the music out, his voice and flow would be there. It’s not even just that, his wordplay and everything about him was so unique. That’s why you gotta wonder how is this motherf*cker overlooked. He’s got so many f*cking flow patterns that are insane. |
