PASSION PROJECT/JADAKISS UNLOCKED
SHOW DISCIPLINE
Jadakiss has been moving around like he's a new artist lately. Since the LOX Verzuz Diplomats in early August, the D-Block general has been the flowers and credit that deserves. People who didn't know how legendary Jadakiss, Styles, and Sheek are found out.
“I don’t do Instagram, I don’t do twitter” - Jadakiss at Verzuz
I really thought the Verzuz battle between Dipset and The Lox was going to be a lot closer than it was. The Diplomats are a New York staple in hiphop music. They’ve created fashion trends, music trends, and have been one of the most disrespectful crews in hiphop. On the other hand, the LOX have been monumental in hiphop up without fashion trends and have really been revered for their lyrics.
Led by Jadakiss, the Verzuz battle was truly unfair for The Diplomats. You started seeing how being a part of that Bad Boy family tree really makes a difference. If that’s not enough they are also Ruff Rydersfamily. That legacy alone is hard to compete with. I saw people referring to Jadakiss’s crowd control throughout the night. It’s obvious that learned and have practice showmanship when it comes to live performances.
The turning point for most viewers was when Jadakiss dropped his 10-year-old freestyle over The Notorious B.I.G.’s Who Shot Ya. The song turned MSG upside down! Rightfully so, who else do you want to hear rap over such a legendary beat. It’s so interesting to me how you could make a song and it could recognition years later. After Verzuz the Who Shot Ya freestyle by Jadakiss was put on streaming platforms. It’s almost like Jadakiss dropped a single.
I believe what we’ve learned from this Verzuz is it’s still important to be a dope rapper and to be able to control the stage. The LOX rapped over show tracks, not the recording of the record. If you’ve ever seen someone rap over their lyrics at a live performance, it’s almost like cheating. You don’t really have to know your lyrics. Being that The LOX had show tracks, they most likely had to rehearse. Which is another lost art in the hiphop community. But when you do rehearse, you’re more confident about your show, and you know you’ll be ready for the performance.
As of right now, Jadakiss is the best rapper out. Like I said before he’s moving around like a new artist. He has fresh energy about him. The LOX performed again at Summer Jam, New York Radio Hot 97’s festival. Weeks after Verzuz the energy was still there. Jadakiss is absolutely Top 5 dead or alive and that’s no longer a debate anymore