Videos by According2HipHop
One of the lost arts in hip-hop is the art of freestyling. No preparation, no iPhone to read off, just straight bars off the dome. Here are four of the most iconic freestyles in rap history.
Freestyle – Lil Baby
Freestyle 1
Lil Baby’s rise to rap superstardom has been quite the journey to behold. And while he has collaborated with some of the top hitmakers such as Drake and Gunna throughout his illustrious career, some of his best works are from when he was on the come-up. Baby’s song Freestyle off of his 2017 album Too Hard was the song that put the industry on notice that he was coming. It is the perfect combination of lyricism, wordplay, and bars. It has jokingly been called the new National Anthem by several hip-hop fans.
Jadakiss 40 Bars of Terror
Freestyle 2:
Jadakiss can’t sell out a stadium tour like the likes of Drake or Nicki Minaj. But around the music industry, he is still widely regarded as one of the coldest lyricists of all time. Jadakiss often refers to himself as “top five dead or alive.” And that moniker is on full display in his 40 Bars of Terror freestyle. Jada shows why, despite rarely being seen on the Billboard charts, he still deserves his recognition as one of the top emcees in the game. The Yonkers rap star drops hard-hitting bars after hard-hitting bars that any rap fan will find enjoyable.
Lil Wayne – We Taking Over
Freestyle 3:
It wasn’t enough for Lil Wayne to have the best verse on one of the biggest records of DJ Khaled’s career. He also had to put his spin on it. Lil Wayne remixed Khaled’s We Taking Over on his mixtape The Drought 3, and it became one of the most notable freestyles of his career. Particularly because he addressed a viral picture of him kissing his adopted father, Birdman, on the lips.
“Damn right, I kissed my daddy. I think they pissed at how rich my daddy is, and I’m his kid—I stunt with my daddy Call Miss Lee, she with my daddy So diss me, and don’t diss my daddy ‘Cause who was there when no one wasn’t? Just my daddy, who was there when I needed money? Just my daddy. So who will be there when I see the money? Just my daddy,” he raps.
Jay-Z & Big L Freestyle
Freestyle 4:
It’s not often that you see someone go head-to-head with Jay-Z on the mic. But that is exactly what late Harlem artist Big L did when he and HOV linked up for their iconic freestyle in 1995. L and Jay appeared on the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito show, which was popular for breaking in new talent on the East Coast. Jay-Z and Big L, two young rappers itching for the opportunity to make their mark in the industry, went bar for bar in a freestyle that is nearly ten minutes long. It is widely considered an iconic moment in hip-hop history that catapulted both of their careers.
