In anticipation of the 2018 Grammy Awards, legendary pianist/producer Robert Glasper led a special jam session this week on Sway in the Morning. The affair brought together some of the biggest and most respected names in the industry, including Anthony Hamilton and the Hamiltones, Fred the Godson, Chris Dave, and others. Lupe Fiasco and Rapsody, who were also in attendance, treated listeners to a couple of solid freestyles.
After giving a shoutout to her good friend and longtime supporter 9th Wonder, Rapsody jumped into the beat and delivered an effortless flow at around the 19:10-minute mark.
“Mathematics, add and subtract it / This is how we do, yo I came to bring the static / Anybody wanna battle? / Yo, I got to come rattle these bones and kill microphones,” she raps. “Yeah, six feet under is where I put them in their slumber / In the end I’m gonna be No. 1, no two.”
In September of 2017, Rapsody released her sophomore studio album, Laila’s Wisdom. The project, which featured artists like Kendrick Lamar and Black Thought, earned the North Carolina rapper two 2018 Grammy nominations; one for Best Rap Album and the other for Best Rap Song.
Lupe followed Rapsody at the 21:10-minute mark:
“My business is spitting the sentences / Like a judge though, innocent convictions / I don’t love hoes / But sometimes I keep the bitches on my side, riches,” he spits. “[…] You know my flow’s domination / And coronations for the crowns, put it down / I like to boogie down from the Harlem / You know my stardom, I never bargain, I keep a deal though / My discounts so for real though.”
We have to hand it to Lupe. When he’s not busy generating controversy on social media, he has continued to prove himself as one of the game's most respectable lyricists. The pre-Grammy jam session was just another reminder of his impressive skills.
You can check out the freestyles, as well as the jam session in general, in the video above.
