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BIOGRAPHY | BEEFS | INTERVIEWS | ARTICLES
THE HORSEMEN | CLOAK 'N DAGGA
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LL COOL J | EMINEM | WYCLEF JEAN | BEANIE SIGEL | OTHER
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LL Cool J (as everyone knows) is one of the most established rappers in the Hip Hop game. He has released numerous albums, singles, he has featured on many Soundtracks, starred on guest appearances etc. You get the picture.
LL was finishing off his auto-biographical album "Phenomenon" and decided to make a track called "4,3,2,1" (listen | view) this would be, without a doubt, one of the best tracks on the album. He had lined up a star studed line of rappers; Redman, Method Man, DMX (who had been working in Hip Hop for a while but was pretty unknown at the time) and Canibus. Back then, Canibus was a rapper of whom LL envied. Canibus' lyrics were amazing, he could include intellectual phrases, messages, multi-syllable words all into his freestyles making him a must for this track.
So, it was set. LL invited the group to a recording studio to rhyme on the track. Up first was Redman, then Method Man, DMX and finally Canibus. Once the group had left LL listened to the verses. When he got to Canibus' verse he encountered (what he thought) a verse which insulted him. It referred to his status and his tattoo (a mic on his arm). LL decided to aim his verse on the track at Canibus as some sort of warning to keep his mouth closed. LL phoned Canibus and confronted him. Canibus stated that it wasn't an insult but LL managed to convince Canibus that LL would change his verse if Canibus would. Canibus came back into the studio and recorded the verse without the "Yo LL. Is that a mic on your arm? Let me borrow that!" line. (click here to listen to the original verse)
A while later the track was released. Canibus' verse was changed but LL's verse was still the same completely dissing Bis on the track. And for the "4,3,2,1" video, Canibus shot his part separately (after they all were done). LL didn't include it into the video until 2-3 months later.
Canibus had allegedly already been verbally attacked by Redman but took no notice. Canibus wasn't pleased with LL and decided to call him to let him know how he was feeling about the hectic situation. Canibus and LL Cool J had a 12 min. phone conversation where Canibus explains to LL what his perspective on the whole situation is and they talk about how to make things right wihout (further) career damage. You can listen to this phone conversation by clicking here.
In the phone conversation LL said that they could do another collaboration within the next 2 or 3 months to make it all right but that track was never recorded. Canibus became even more mad and along with Mike Tyson and Wyclef he produced the diss track "2nd Round K.O." (listen | view). This track was produced by Wyclef, featured Mike Tyson and had Canibus insulting everything that LL was known for.
The track "2nd Round K.O." insulted LL's family, his TV show, his body, his attitude and basically it insulted him. With lines like "I'll kick you in the groin, hit you in the head, stick you for your Van Guard award infront of your moms, your first, second and third born" and "Frontin' like a drug free role model you disgust me, I know niggas that see you smoke weed recently."
The whole of the Hip Hop community were both shocked and engrosed in this beef, they sat back and watched it progress.
For the "Bulworth" soundtrack, Dr. Dre was set to do a comeback track with Snoop Dogg, re-forming their original deep Death Row alliance. There were legal problems in clearing this so LL took Snoops place on the track. This track (LL's verse) was said to be his "2nd Round K.O." comeback. "Zoom" (listen) contained a pretty weak verse by LL, and fans weren't happy with this 'reply'.
"Zoom" wasn't the reply, not in the slightest. LL wasn't content on being insulted on such a wide scale so he produced "The Ripper Strikes Back" (listen), a track which was a retaliation towards Canibus. In this track LL insulted Canibus (not as much as Canibus insulted him). He also insulted Wyclef and lastly Mike Tyson. They all received a verbal attack.
Canibus made various appearances after "The Ripper Strikes Back", and he wasn't all that bothered. All LL had said basically about Canibus were things like; "49lbs and trying to be a mobster" and "You know you watch the sitcom nigga stop lying". Nothing which really could be taken as too offensive. The funny thing is that on "The Ripper Strikes Back", LL keeps saying as a sort of chorus "Can-I-Bus? Yes you can!".
However, the other two parties involved in "2nd Round K.O." were offended. Wyclef had been referred to as "that Bob Marley impostor" and various other things. Wyclef decided that he would retaliate with "What's Clef Got To Do With It?" (later released as "What's Clef") (listen). This track wasn't as powerful as Canibus' but still enabled Clef to defend himself. Later LL Cool J responded to that with the diss track called "Rastah Imposter" (listen).
Canibus now has a tattoo on his arm of a mic with a fist around it, on the knuckles of the fist are the numbers: 4,3,2,1.
Onto Mike Tyson, LL had a range of insults thrown towards him. "Heard that convicted rapist on the record too, straight out of jail, ass cheeks still black and blue". Tyson received (in our opinion) the largest offensive amount of insults.
On LL's side, for a long while a kid from Philadelphia named Meddafore has made a diss cut towards Canibus entitled "Lightwork", the track has been circulating around the underground for a while.
There are/were a lot of rumours surrounding an artist called Headkrak. Headkrak is down with Canibus and Wyclef and rumours circulated that he created a diss track to Meddafore. These rumours were put forth to Headkrak, in actual fact there was no diss track. Headkrak is down with Canibus but doesn’t want to get involved in this beef.
Further, along with Meddafore some other MC's started dissing Canibus out of nowhere.
While in the UK in January of 2001, Bis did a live session (listen) where he finally came back at LL hard (a few days later it was also performed in Amsterdam). This diss would later be turned into a track called "Rip The Jacker" (aka "I'm Bad") (listen) and begin to circulate on the internet. Soon afterward, "Rip The Jacker" could be found at Cani's mp3.com website, along with other new material.
LL Cool J has unfortunately retired, so it's unlikely we'll hear anymore replies from him. The last track he made towards Canibus was on his G.O.A.T. album. A track called "Back Where I Belong" (listen) featuring Ja Rule on the hook.
The beef seems over with LL, but the name Canibus will always be reminded together with this big rap fued.
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