One of the greatest lyricists to ever pick up a microphone, step inside a recording booth and conjugate verbs in rap form, Yonkers, New York’s own, Jadakiss is a living legend.
While appearing on today’s episode of Scoop B Radio, Jadakiss discussed tons including his favorite NBA players, Jay-Z, the Notorious B.I.G. and late great NBA Kobe Bryant.
A founding member of The Lox alongside Sheek Louch and Styles P, Jadakiss spent tons of time with the late great, Notorious B.I.G. while they were all signed to Bad Boy Records. Collaborating, traveling and sharing personal space with not just Biggie, but also Jay-Z while they were all on the rise during the golden era of hip hop, Jadakiss has a wealth of knowledge and experience.
While chatting with Scoop B Radio, I asked him if Jay-Z has surpassed BIG lyrically and he said yes.
Has Jay-Z Surpassed Biggie?
“Hov,” he asked.
“Yea that’s not like a crazy answer. He has more years on Earth. So he’s able to; you know, he surpassed him. He used that energy he got from his brother to help him surpass him.”
Fair enough.
Ice Cube, Freeway & Styles P Weighed In On Jay-Z & Biggie Comparisons Too
Jadakiss is not the first person to weigh in on this topic.
Insert Ice Cube who thinks similarly. “Jay-Z’s a phenomenon because he can come straight off the dome,” he told Scoop B Radio this past summer.
“He doesn’t need no paper, no pen and that’s just amazing in itself so I don’t think that you can compare him. Those are two different types of MC’s; one had a short career and one had a long one so, I give the nod to both of them.”
Rapper, Freeway told Scoop B Radio during the summer: “I think BIG. is great and he didn’t have enough time. Jay had more time than BIG. So, he had time to let us see him grow and see him develop into who he is today. BIG was exceptional at the age he was when he passed away but we really can’t compare because BIG didn’t have enough time.”
Styles P gave a different response and was more direct when asked if he thought Jay-Z surpassed Biggie. “No, I don’t,” he told Scoop B Radio.
“I don’t say anyone surpassed Biggie because Big didn’t have a fair shot to be around as long as he should’ve and I believe he set the tone. I believe in hip-hop; we make too many comparisons, especially with people who are not around. I don’t think Jay-Z makes it to where he’s at; The L.O.X. makes it to where we’re’ at…a bunch of us. If it wasn’t for Big and ‘Pac setting a certain tone, standard and bar in the rap game for you to keep up to the bar.”
Jadakiss Comparisons To Kobe Bryant
Speaking of Styles P, over the summer, Styles P compared Jadakiss’ stature in hip hop to the late great Kobe Bryant . “I’m gonna give him Kobe,” he told Scoop B Radio.
“I’m gonna give him Kobe because definitely anytime he steps into the arena, he puts his work ethic in and you know he’s gonna get his shit off! You KNOW you can’t stop him and you know you’re gonna love to see him do it.”
“Wow my brother compared me to Kobe,” shared a surprised Jadakiss while on Scoop B Radio.
The comparison is not insane. Jadakiss shares the longevity of Bryant, who remained with L.A. for 20 NBA seasons, including seven NBA Finals appearances (and five wins). Jadakiss’ first record, “Kiss tha Game Goodbye,” hit No. 5 on Billboard and notched a Gold certification. His latest record, “Ignatius,” still charted in the Top 40 (at No. 31).
A 6-foot-6 swingman, Bryant was also a 15-time All-NBA and 12-time All-Defensive honoree, as well as the league’s two-time scoring champion. Across 1,346 career regular season games, he boasted career averages of 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks a night. The superstar wing was one of the most dominant figures of his era, and he accordingly was awarded a posthumous bronze statue outside of L.A.’s homecourt, Crypto.com Arena.
Sam Cassell, Jadakiss & Basketball
Speaking of basketball, Jadakiss has a special connection to the game. His smoothest rap verse with a basketball reference was introduced to the world in 2001 in his single “Put Ya Hands Up” when he told the world: “Y’all scared, I can tell cuz Imma get Bucks like Milwaukee cause like Sam I Cassell.”
NBA Hall of Famer, Gary Payton, then a Bucks teammate with Cassell shared that that rap reference was iconic. “It was like, any NBA player that gets a verse, that means you’re doing something,” he told Scoop B Radio.
“That means somebody likes you and you live!”
Apparently Sam Cassell played that verse over and over again. “I was just joining the team and Sam was just pumping it all the time in the car though,” recounts Gary Payton.
“I said, ‘Man you just feelin’ yourself, huh? Jadakiss got you on one!’”
Jadakiss may be a die hard Knicks fan, but he says he has a few favorites in the NBA outside of the usual suspects of Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns’ orange and blue that plays at Madison Square Garden.
“Better pay attention to Joker, Murray, Ja Morant, Tatum, Jalen Brunson,” he tells Scoop B Radio.
“There’s a lot of young whippersnappers coming in.”
