Did LL Cool J really best Kool Moe Dee or did he just reap the benefits of being the younger artist? | @DadBodRapPod Podcast

[NormanConnors]

LL lost. I was alive and well living this in real time. He lost simple and plain, but he was a huge star with the Def Jam machine behind him. I'm a fan of both LL and KMD, but lyrically, he lost to both KMD and Canibus and it wasn't even close. Back in 98 when people were actually saying "the ripper strikes back" was a good diss, I knew hip hop was heading into a direction that could not be reversed. And here we are today debating sales and IG followers as to who is the better "lyricist"

Facts

 

[NormanConnors]

My brothers were 7 and 9 years older than me. LL was my favorite rapper. They loved Moe Dee because he was old school. As much as I hated it, and I really hated it, Let’s Go was about as scathing a diss as you could get. Moe Dee won the rap battle easy. I felt like L didn’t try to go hard on him because Moe Dee was too dangerous to him. He actually did put a dent in L career and L kinda treaded lightly and waited him out because his brand was in and Moe Dee was on the way out.

Looking back L was smart not to poke the bear. The older crowd was waiting for a champion to go against the young lion and it revitalized them. So much so that L nearly met his demise with Walking With A Panther. Everyone was saying the album was weak. Only the Jingling Baby remix saved his ass. Arsenio played them against each other by having L on first then Moe Dee after and Moe Dee said set up a boxing ring and he would beat L in that too. L was really smart or someone in his team was. If Moe Dee would have been a young artist it would’ve been similar to Ja/50 turnover.

Exactly how I remembered it, spot on

 

[NormanConnors]

LL won

Moe Dee was perceived as corny and when that happens you lose by default.

When you sound dated no words can save you.

Remember when Melli Mel went against Eminem … yeah it was like that at the time …

Nah, not even close. The gab between LL and Moe wasn't THAT wide. Moe was still sharp/formidable and gave LL that work.

 

[Jplaya2023]

Wasn't there for this beef but I notice that the artist that has the most female fans usually wins rap battles.

LL wasnt marion hill back then musically this was his shell tops and kango days. The "I'm bad" days

 

[surv2syn]

Nah, not even close. The gab between LL and Moe wasn't THAT wide. Moe was still sharp/formidable and gave LL that work.

Lyrically and battle wise Moe Dee was better. L kinda conceded this in an interview when he wasn’t speaking specifically about Moe Dee but it was pertaining to him because Moe Dee called him out to battle and L said something to the effect of “I don’t battle”. Moe Dee was a battle rapper. Just like Kane called out Rakim to battle. Great lyricists and artists don’t necessarily mean they can battle. Moe Dee was in that URL lane back then. L wasn’t with it, it would’ve damaged his persona.

 

[Bondye Vodou]

They gave the win to the more popular artist.

That being said

 

[Kool]

Kool Moe Dee won with "Let's Go"