Harlem artists Big L and Styles P participated in a legendary rap battle before each rapper hit it big.
Styles P’s fellow LOX member Jadakiss recalled the story during his appearance on the latest episode of Drink Champs.
“Big L was that n***a,” Jada shared at the 50-minute mark of the above video. “I don’t like that they gave him his flowers after he was dead. They should have gave them [his flowers] when he was here. but, I guess it was too much going on. Or, just how the world is.”
According to Jada, before he and Styles got a record deal, the pair were at 139th street and ran into Big L.
“But, Big L was one of the first — Big L, when we were still trying to get a deal and we hadn’t met Puff yet — we were downtown on 139th getting some weed from Buzz Me In, the old spot that was there and he [Big L] was in front of the fried chicken spot,” Jada explained.
Styles subsequently went toe-to-toe with Big L, which resulted in a “furious” rap battle.
“SP got out and him and SP got into a battle — a furious one,” Jada said., “We got cool with him after that — once we found out about Children of The Corn and all that.”
Jada continued, “Big L was already famous. He was one of the first young dudes to make it. Once again shout out to Digging in the Crates for seeing the talent in him way back when he was a youngster.”
Watch Jadakiss recall the entire story of Styles P and Big L’s iconic rap battle in the clip up top.
