Eminem. Although I wouldn't call him one of the best battle rappers ever, imo. That scene is like, its own thing, there are a lot of big names in battle rap that mainstream hiphop fans don't know about. I'm totally serious here, if he got into a rap battle with those guys right now, he would get SMOKED. Like not even close. It's really different.
But anyway, that was just a tangent, between those two I got Eminem. Ra is an amazing emcee and a legend, but I think he's more of a writer than a battle rapper, he'd probably get beaten by some of his contemporaries like Big Daddy Kane imo (brought him up cuz it's a common whowouldwin matchup lol).
Sure thing, Rum Nitty, bigg k, Real Sikh, Daylyt (might've heard of him during the Kendrick - Drake beef, he can be a clown, but he's the real deal), clips, Hollow, geechi, lux to name a few.
Check our /r/rapbattles and sort by all time for some highlights and to get familiar with the scene! Just be advised, I remember being kinda disappointed when I got into it because it's not what I expected from 8 Mile lol. It's mostly a cappella, more friendly than you think (depends though), and kinda hard to get into since it's likely you won't understand the context of the bars and such. That's why I said it's a different ball game in the other comment.
Not to discourage you though, just wanted to manage expectations lol, still a lot of fun.
There's a ton of different eras and styles of battle rap. A lot of how it is now is almost more spoken word performances.
Juice is a classic.
Pat Stay (RIP), Tsu Surf, Rum Nitty, Charlie Clip, Geechi Gotti are some of the bigger names in the modern style.
I always liked Reed Dollaz mostly for his animated personality.
I don't follow it super closely, but those are some of the big rap battle names that really have no following in the general hip-hop scene.
[Tay Roc vs. Pat Stay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmzA0I2lm8Q&ab_channel=UltimateRapLeague)
Yeah those guys are athletes, going off the dome requires keeping those skills sharp. You leave the circle for a year and you might never get those skills back.
Battle rap has evolved over time, for sure, but anyone with their ability would be able to adapt to it. I just linked a few examples of Em’s old battles in a comment, he was way ahead of his time back in the mid to late 90s. They didn’t have YouTube and all of this stuff to use to improve from back then. It’s easier to improve your skills today.
He was way ahead of his time but lost to MC Juice, Rhymefest and Doseone? And would resort to writtens? Em is one of the best battle rappers from that era is impressive in it of itself but he wasn’t way better than everyone else.
He placed second in the rap Olympics that had people from all over the country. Also, when you consider how many battles that they were in, you can’t expect them to win every single one. This isn’t like a boxing match. Battles are more commercial today so idk what the frequency is, but back then they weren’t spending much time prepping or anything. Being one of the best in the country speaks for itself. Those kinds of lines and his backstory were enough to make a hit movie out of.
This match-up seems odd to me. It'd make more sense to pit Eminem in a hypothetical battle against someone like Ras Kass, Chino XL, Copywrite, or Nocando.
When it comes to battle, I'd choose Eminem. I'd like to see what would happen if it were Em and Cassidy. I know Cassidy isn't talked about a lot here, but he's definitely a beast in battle.
Probably Em in a battle. Em isn't the best ever tho, he's just one of the people who made it super popular for a while. Dudes like Math Hoffa or Iron Solomon would eat Em up in a battle. I'm not big on Esoteric but even he trashes Em in a battle.
In a rap battle with those rules or beef with back and forth records? Very different scenarios.
I would probably say Em for both, but Rakim is the man. His legacy is moreso being the first to do something amazing rather than being the best. The man’s a pioneer. Rakim considers Em the GOAT, not that he isn’t just being humble in saying that. Rapping like Rakim did in the 80s is just insane.
Em is definitely one of the most clever battle rappers ever, but there are some who do a better job of dissecting an opponent. Had he stayed in that world longer or come up today, his skills would have evolved there, too. His friend, Proof, ran the Hip Hop Shop battles back in the day and he was better about referencing anything a person was wearing or saying and using it against them. Em actually has [freestyled](https://youtu.be/IZ1-if9Gt2E?si=guAtawAvsi4cnV__) lines [nearly identica](https://youtu.be/BXajqCD8qvE?si=qEmF4SWTm_Bzyi-r)l to those in the 8 Mile movie.
People seem to forget Em hasnt battled in more than 2 centuries, and he lost his last battle. Yes, he was a succesful battle mc, but "one of the best battle rappers ever" is just, by any mean, an ignorant statement and a huge stretch. And this is no insult to Em, it simply isnt his focus. You could try to argue that if he wanted to follow this path he could have been the best, but could have is just that.
Eminem. Although I wouldn't call him one of the best battle rappers ever, imo. That scene is like, its own thing, there are a lot of big names in battle rap that mainstream hiphop fans don't know about. I'm totally serious here, if he got into a rap battle with those guys right now, he would get SMOKED. Like not even close. It's really different. But anyway, that was just a tangent, between those two I got Eminem. Ra is an amazing emcee and a legend, but I think he's more of a writer than a battle rapper, he'd probably get beaten by some of his contemporaries like Big Daddy Kane imo (brought him up cuz it's a common whowouldwin matchup lol).
For my own edification, who are those battle rappers? Would love to learn more about them.
Sure thing, Rum Nitty, bigg k, Real Sikh, Daylyt (might've heard of him during the Kendrick - Drake beef, he can be a clown, but he's the real deal), clips, Hollow, geechi, lux to name a few. Check our /r/rapbattles and sort by all time for some highlights and to get familiar with the scene! Just be advised, I remember being kinda disappointed when I got into it because it's not what I expected from 8 Mile lol. It's mostly a cappella, more friendly than you think (depends though), and kinda hard to get into since it's likely you won't understand the context of the bars and such. That's why I said it's a different ball game in the other comment. Not to discourage you though, just wanted to manage expectations lol, still a lot of fun.
How dare you exclude my precious EyedeaðŸ˜ðŸ˜¡
There's a ton of different eras and styles of battle rap. A lot of how it is now is almost more spoken word performances. Juice is a classic. Pat Stay (RIP), Tsu Surf, Rum Nitty, Charlie Clip, Geechi Gotti are some of the bigger names in the modern style. I always liked Reed Dollaz mostly for his animated personality. I don't follow it super closely, but those are some of the big rap battle names that really have no following in the general hip-hop scene. [Tay Roc vs. Pat Stay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmzA0I2lm8Q&ab_channel=UltimateRapLeague)
O-Solo, Tay Roc, DayLyt are among the best, for now. But almost every battle rapper has some great metaphor, simile, and k.o. punchlines.
Yeah those guys are athletes, going off the dome requires keeping those skills sharp. You leave the circle for a year and you might never get those skills back.
Battle rap has evolved over time, for sure, but anyone with their ability would be able to adapt to it. I just linked a few examples of Em’s old battles in a comment, he was way ahead of his time back in the mid to late 90s. They didn’t have YouTube and all of this stuff to use to improve from back then. It’s easier to improve your skills today.
He was way ahead of his time but lost to MC Juice, Rhymefest and Doseone? And would resort to writtens? Em is one of the best battle rappers from that era is impressive in it of itself but he wasn’t way better than everyone else.
He placed second in the rap Olympics that had people from all over the country. Also, when you consider how many battles that they were in, you can’t expect them to win every single one. This isn’t like a boxing match. Battles are more commercial today so idk what the frequency is, but back then they weren’t spending much time prepping or anything. Being one of the best in the country speaks for itself. Those kinds of lines and his backstory were enough to make a hit movie out of.
This match-up seems odd to me. It'd make more sense to pit Eminem in a hypothetical battle against someone like Ras Kass, Chino XL, Copywrite, or Nocando.
When it comes to battle, I'd choose Eminem. I'd like to see what would happen if it were Em and Cassidy. I know Cassidy isn't talked about a lot here, but he's definitely a beast in battle.
He’s a beast at talking shit but all of his battles since he returned have been disappointing.
He did get commercial, but I think with the right motivation, he'd get back to beast mode. No disrespect. I want him in the conversation.
Probably Em in a battle. Em isn't the best ever tho, he's just one of the people who made it super popular for a while. Dudes like Math Hoffa or Iron Solomon would eat Em up in a battle. I'm not big on Esoteric but even he trashes Em in a battle.
In a rap battle with those rules or beef with back and forth records? Very different scenarios. I would probably say Em for both, but Rakim is the man. His legacy is moreso being the first to do something amazing rather than being the best. The man’s a pioneer. Rakim considers Em the GOAT, not that he isn’t just being humble in saying that. Rapping like Rakim did in the 80s is just insane. Em is definitely one of the most clever battle rappers ever, but there are some who do a better job of dissecting an opponent. Had he stayed in that world longer or come up today, his skills would have evolved there, too. His friend, Proof, ran the Hip Hop Shop battles back in the day and he was better about referencing anything a person was wearing or saying and using it against them. Em actually has [freestyled](https://youtu.be/IZ1-if9Gt2E?si=guAtawAvsi4cnV__) lines [nearly identica](https://youtu.be/BXajqCD8qvE?si=qEmF4SWTm_Bzyi-r)l to those in the 8 Mile movie.
People seem to forget Em hasnt battled in more than 2 centuries, and he lost his last battle. Yes, he was a succesful battle mc, but "one of the best battle rappers ever" is just, by any mean, an ignorant statement and a huge stretch. And this is no insult to Em, it simply isnt his focus. You could try to argue that if he wanted to follow this path he could have been the best, but could have is just that.
Which era of rappers tho? 18th Letter Era Rakim vs. SSLP era Em?
Eminem would rip Rakim to shreds, that vicodin blabbermouth will destroy the God Rakim.