If there was ever a match-up that would make hip-hop heads salivate at the very thought, a battle between DJ Premier and the RZA would be exactly that. Now, thanks to the brilliant orchestration of Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, who have helped bring the act of battling back into hip-hop culture through their ongoing Verzuz series, the paperwork has officially been signed.
This Saturday at 9 PM EST, you can catch DJ Premier going head to head against the RZA on Instagram Live, a duel that is one of the hardest to predict thus far. Both men are easily considered to stand among the founding fathers of hip-hop production, trailblazers of the sample-based, New York classic sound.
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Fans of Jay-Z, Nas, Gangstarr, Royce Da 5'9", and many more are likely familiar with Preem's extensive catalog, his style having become synonymous with golden-era boom-bap. On the other side stands Bobby Digital himself, the mastermind behind the Wu-Tang Clan and the guiding musical hand behind several of the Wu's solo classics. Expect this battle of wits, wills, and wiles to be a proverbial stroll down memory lane, a compact history lesson for anybody even remotely interested in hip-hop's sonic evolution.
As for predicting a winner, don't expect this one to be easy -- sound off in the comments with your pick, as well as some of the beats you hope to hear this coming Saturday night. Big thanks to everybody involved in making this happen.