LL Cool J released the album 'Phenomenon' in 1997. The second single on the album is "4,3,2,1", which features DMX, Method Man, Redman, and Canibus. LL and Canibus clashed during the production of "4,3,2,1" over a reference Canibus made in the song about LL's microphone tattoo. Canibus: "Yo L is that a mic on your arm? Let me borrow that". LL felt the line was disrespectful and responded on the track: "The symbol on my arm is off limits to challengers, you hold the rusty swords I swing the excalibur" and: "Now let's get back to this mic on my arm - if it ever left my side it'd transform into a time bomb. You don't wanna borrow that, you wanna idolize.
And you don't wanna make me mad ***** you wanna socialize". Canibus ultimately agreed to remove his tattoo reference, but a rivalry had been born.
A short time later Canibus released 'Can-I-Bus?' which included the scorching LL Cool J diss "Second Round K.O." LL Cool J responded with an equally charged diss track called "The Ripper Strikes Back".
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:O omg! you mean Kool Moe Dee and Canibus can't appeal to teenage suburban girls now!?!? how do they sleep at night?!?! it doesn't matter whether or not they well known by the mainstream - Kool Moe Dee is hailed as one of hip-hop's most skilful originators and Canibus is renowned as one of the st
rongest lyricists out there. the hip-hop community's opinion is that both Dee and Bis won vs LL
while Bis was obviously exaggerating, LL simply threw basic logic out of the window. it also makes the line "you studied my rhyme, then you layed your vocals after mine" even funnier.
P.S.: can LL say he has collaborated with The Firm, Rakim, Kool G Rap, Slick Rick, Ras Kass, Killah Priest (even having supergroup with those last two), Common, Pharaohe Monch and Chino XL?
as for Kool Moe Dee - he will always be a legend in the eyes of the hip-hop community, no question. by contrast, while many will still have a fondness for LL's early work, his sellout pop-music artistic direction has certainly tarnished whatever reputation he originally had.
and the collabs r important cos all of those ppl are considered legends - they're not exactly going to be working with Bis for publicity, they do it out of respect for his talent.
u r going over your statement that LL 'won' cos he had a better mainstream career as if it makes the point more valid if repeated: the hip-hop COMMUNITY and most ARTISTS think LL lost, therefore he lost. it's like who won between 50 & GZA.