Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar has transcended the battle. The back-and-forth between the two superstars has powered the entirety of hip-hop media in 2024. Every media personality has given their two cents on who won, and every legendary rapper has gone on a podcast to offer perspective. LL Cool J is one of the few who didn’t have much to say about Drake vs. Lamar while they were battling. Now that the dust has settled, though, LL has nothing but praise for both sides.
LL Cool J recently sat down with Bootleg Kev to talk shop about the battle of the decade. The rapper clarified that he was coming at from a fan perspective, and was thoroughly entertained by what Drake and Dot put on display. “I thought it was great for hip-hop,” he noted. “Thought it was the right thing. I thought they both did well, they held their own.” LL Cool J did make a ruling on which rapper he thought won, though, and it was not a surprise. “I thought Kendrick won,” he noted. “But I thought that Drake, by no means did he embarrass himself… He definitely showed up.”
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) June 17, 2024
LL Cool J is a battle-tested veteran, himself. He’s gone at Canibus and Wyclef Jean among countless others. He was happy to see that competition is still a big part of hip-hop’s appeal. “The key to that stuff is as long it doesn’t distract you from your ultimate goal,” he stated. “It’s a wonderful thing to participate in. I love it, man.” LL took things a step further than comparing Drake and Kendrick Lamar to some of the great rivalries in sports. “This is no different from LeBron and Steph. Jordan, when he was coming in, and Magic was going out. It ain’t no different.”
One rapper who LL has been less thrilled with, lately, is Andre 3000. He recently gave his opinion on Three Stack’s flute album, and told The Shop‘s Lena Waithe that he was disappointed. “I need him to spit,” the rapper noted. “Flutes? Man, come on, bro. His bars is all the way up. I’m very clear. Not the flute, B. Not the flute.” LL Cool J put his money where his mouth was, too. He just dropped the single “Saturday Night Special” with guest appearances from fellow legends Rick Ross and Fat Joe.
We’ll admit a rapper in uniform is not something most expect ever to see. Surprisingly though, several rappers were once in the military. Whether before or after embarking on their musical journey, these MCs have served at some point in their lives. Not many artists have navigated the challenging terrains of the music industry and military service. After all, either of the two options is tough enough on its own, so why move from one to the other?
Well, most of these rappers only had brief stints with the military and joined because they had to. Only a handful actually joined because they wanted to, for whatever reason. Nevertheless, they all count. Out of an ever-growing crop of rappers, here are seven who have served in the military before.
NEW YORK – JULY 30: Rapper Malice of Clipse performs on stage at the Diesel U Music 2009 NYC Tour at Webster Hall on July 30, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)
One half of the Hip Hop duo Clipse, No Malice first joined the military before becoming a renowned MC. After finishing high school, the rapper was uncertain about his future, and how to take control of it. Especially considering that he had a child on the way, No Malice had to do something for money. Also, it had to be something good enough to help him take care of his growing family.
In a 2015 interview with MTV News, the rapper disclosed, “I was looking for stability. I needed it, something that was honest money and something you could count on, benefits and things of that nature. It also [allowed] me to go to school and learn a trade.” Subsequently, he became a member of the United States Army and served a two-and-a-half-year term. Although he did not re-enlist, his time there makes him one of the few rappers who were in the military. After leaving, he went on to form Clipse in 1992 with his brother, Pusha T.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 02: Freddie Gibbs performs during the ACL Music festival at Zilker Park on October 02, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/FilmMagic)
In his younger years, the talented rapper Freddie Gibbs got into trouble often. Although he got into university on an athletic scholarship, the rapper was unfortunately expelled before he finished. Subsequently, at the age of 19, he was placed on trial for theft and gun charges. Even being the rebel that he was, Gibbs had to follow orders if he wanted to get himself out of that mess. As such, to avoid jail time, he was enlisted into a pre-trial program run by the US Army. However, eight months in, Gibbs was dishonorably discharged for being caught smoking marijuana.
Canibus
NEW YORK, NEW YORK–AUGUST 10: Rapper Canibus (aka Germaine Williams) appears in a portrait taken on August 10, 1998 in New York City. (Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
The tale of Canibus’ entry into the military is unusual because it happened after he had become a rapper. Following the release of his solo debut album, he began making waves in the industry in the late ‘90s. He continued to do so until 2002, when he unexpectedly joined the US Army. In a 2021 interview on the Bootleg KevPodcast, Canibus explained that he had been blackballed by some publications prior to his enlistment.
As a result, he felt like he needed to take some time off. It was due to the disdain he was beginning to feel towards the music industry. Canibus shared on the podcast, “The way I felt at that juncture was like, ‘You know what, rap ain’t it, I’m still young enough to go out and make a difference.” Afterward, he joined the Army, serving for two years before being discharged for smoking marijuana, like Freddie Gibbs.
Shaggy, portrait backstage at TMF Awards, Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 7th April 2001. (Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns)
Before turning 20 in 1988, Shaggy enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. The Jamaican-American rapper had arrived in the States a year before and immediately tried pushing his musical career. However, despite enjoying moderate success, he could barely find any work. Subsequently, he decided to do something more productive and joined the Marine Corps. He served there during the Gulf War and rose in ranks to become a lance corporal. After leaving the Marines, he released one of his biggest hits, “Oh Carolina,” in 1993.
LOS ANGELES – CIRCA 2001: Musician Nate Dogg poses for a portrait session in circa 2001 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Estevan Oriol/Getty Images)
The late King of Hooks, Nate Dogg is on the short list of rappers who have served in the military. He did so at 17 when he dropped out of high school. Subsequently, he left his hometown and enlisted in the Marine Corps. Eventually, he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, where he served for four years. Although the reason remains unknown, Nate Dogg was dishonorably discharged in his fourth year of service.
MC Hammer
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 08: MC Hammer speaks onstage during Capitol Music Group’s 5th annual Capitol Congress Premieres new music and projects for industry and media at Arclight Cinemas Hollywood on August 8, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Capitol Music Group)
MC Hammer is one of the most famous rappers who was once in the military. He joined the US Navy and became a veteran. While he later moved on to achieve worldwide fame with his music, MC Hammer made a fine Naval officer. He diligently served in the Navy for three years, reaching the rank of petty officer third class. Afterward, he was honorably discharged and has focused on music since.
Ice-T
NASHVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 15: Ice-T speaks on the Keynote Q&A: Ice-T panel onstage during IEBA 2017 Conference on October 15, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for IEBA)
Hip Hop veteran Ice-T served in the US Army for four years before moving on to achieve fame with his music. Following the birth of his daughter, the rapper enlisted in the Army in 1977, joining for financial benefits. Subsequently, he was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division for the following four years. While in the Army, he rose to Private First Class.
Canibus recently cleared the air surrounding a suspect line he spit on the 1998 LL Cool J diss, “Second Round K.O.” Moreover, it’s a well-constructed and often vicious dig at the New York legend, but many rap fans know it today for an eyebrow-raising line. “Well, lemme tell you somethin’, you might got more cash than me,” Canibus raps on the track. “But you ain’t got the skills to eat a n***a’s a** like me!” Of course, this line took on hilarious new meaning for younger rap fans who heard it years after its release. After all, it’s undeniably cheeky to say something like that in the context of a diss track nowadays. After Gorilla Nems introduced him with that line on the Outside podcast, Canibus had to set the record straight.
“Hey, that’s not what it meant back then!” he exclaimed as he laughed along. “That’s how old we are. What it is now is you see that type of stuff in the comments section on a website and you can’t do anything about it. I look at it and I’m like, ‘Why did I say that?’ because of how it is. But I know why I said it back then. The comment section is just…yellow tape.” Also during that interview, he actually shared a funny story of their reunion performing at Barclays Center in 2014. As his story goes, he asked to borrow one of LL’s chains ahead of their performance.
Canibus Shares His Stories About LL Cool J
“You remember the Barclays?,” he asked Nems. “I came out to the Barclays to perform with him, right? Hoodie jawn on and I’m sitting there and this n***a got so much gold on him. I’m like, ‘Yo, you know what? I can’t go out there with you. I need one of them ropes.’ So nicely, I asked him. I said, ‘Yo I got an idea.’” We staring down. He staring up at me and I’m telling you what I’m saying in my mind.
“Basically it’s like, ‘Aw, here we go again,’” he continued. “And he looked at me. I could see the whites of his eyes off the makeup on his cheek. That’s how I could see he was staring straight at me. And I was looking at him like he could read my mind, ‘If you don’t give me that chain!’ That’s what I was thinking. He said, ‘Yo, get Canibus the baby rope!’ That’s why y’all seen me come out with the baby rope!” Check out the full interview above if you’re interested in the “Desperados” rapper’s perspective and stories. Also, check back in with HNHH for the latest on Canibus, LL Cool J, and more remarkable hip-hop stories and reminiscing.
Canibus’ contributions to the rap game don’t always get the right recognition, partially because he left the music industry behind for a while. Throughout the course of his career, he traded bars with the best of them and proved to be a formidable MC in his own right. However, being a tight MC doesn’t always amount to becoming a powerful force within the music industry. Over time, we’ve witnessed some of the nicest rappers to grace a mic get shoved to the sidelines due to the politics of the music industry.
For Canibus, he emerged under Wyclef Jean’s wing, who produced some of his biggest hits. “Second Round K.O.,” a diss track towards LL Cool J, became his only charting hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Unfortunately, Canibus later fell out with Wyclef Jean, which seemingly began a decline in his career. Regardless, Wyclef Jean undoubtedly opened many doors for Canibus afterward, including exclusive invitations to restaurant openings and events where he rubbed shoulders with revered artists and celebrities.
What Did Jay-Z Tell Canibus?
During a recently appearance on Nems’ Outside with Gorilla Nems, Canibus shared details surrounding a brief run-in with Jay-Z, who subtly provided him with early gems in his career. The two attended Diddy’s opening of Justin’s in 1997 when Hov approached him. “He says, ‘Yo Canibus, man… I like yo shit. You ready for what this game about to do to you?’ Real cool,” he recalled. “And me being young and ignorant, I said, ‘Hell yeah I’m ready!’”
The conversation was cut short after Wyclef told him they needed to go to the studio. However, he later realized what Jay-Z was asking him, though he missed the opportunity to form a strong connection with the Roc-A-Fella co-founder. “I’m not realizing that this is a multi-billion dollar enterprise and industry and that there’s a chain of command involved,” he continued. “It’s not just how good you can rap. Them Triple OGs, they knew that I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. They knew all I could do is just rap.” At the time, he said he was more focused on gaining respect as a rapper rather than becoming a mogul. Check the clip above.
It’s been 18 years since hip-hop super-group The HRSMN released their first album. Now it’s finally time for their second. West Coast rap veteran Ras Kass made it official on Wednesday that The HRSMN — Ras Kass, Canibus, Kurupt and Killah Priest — have a new album coming soon. The HRSMN Gear Up For Their […]
Bootleg Kev/Youtube) pic.twitter.com/uyqDkG0kfX
