Our last Who Spit for Jay week.
“Eminem killed you on your own sh*t.” Nas spit that famous line on “Ether” as an answer record to Jay’s “Takeover.” So the question is did Eminem kill Jay on his on ish? Was Royce’s original verse better than Jay’s?
Ok…we decide today. From my understand “Renegade” was originally a track Em and Royce record under the name of Bad Meets Evil. No sure why Eminem kept the track and gave it to Jay. If I remember correctly around this time Em/D-12 and Royce were “beefin” so this may have contributed to Em giving the song to Jay.
This was originally an Em track and he owned it from day one. Royce wasn’t able to keep up with Em neither was Jay. Jay’ wasn’t “killed” on this song…his verse is super dope. Any other emcee he wins. On this track with Em…no so.
Em>Jay>Royce.
Who you got?
Eminem & Royce Da 5′9″: “Renegade (Original)” [download]
From the promo single “Renegade” (2001)
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Jay-Z feat. Eminem_: “Renegade”
From the album: The Blueprint (2001)
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Em did it with ease…..
Em’s verse is better. I would expect that when you make the track for yourself. He did not “kill” Jay as one of my favorite (Nas) has said.
Word…
Slim went dumb on this shit…
i’m votin JAY on this one yall!
Em this is not even close for me!!
I seriously always thought that Jay kept up with em on this song as well as Royce. Ppl just love to route for the white guy just cuz he’s nasty. They all nasty but I’m not pushing the white guy more just cuz he’s white. This is not a racist remark just in case any1 takes it that way. But for real as a black man I’ve noticed for decades (that’s right decades) that (not all) black folks will race towards the white guy that can do what we do in sports or any form of entertainmen (sing, rap, jazz, dance) and show more support to that person. And basically because Jay was in a heated battle with Nas (who was the underdog at that point), people automatically went with what Nas said about being murdered on his own track. When the truth was I (my opinion) thought it was pretty even considering each spit a verse that was better than the others (they both spit two). But even with that being said, the both kept up with each other without looking like they was trying to outdo one another (plus Em’s verse was already written so it’s not like he tried to outdo jay by witting some new over your head shit). But Royce also did a dope job with his first verse (which almost sounds like Em wrote it but I don’t think he did, Royce probably was just using Em’s cadence for the delivery) and second verse. What should be done and probably exists somewhere is a version with all 3 of them’s best verse.
Ok, maybe it’s just me, but if you listen to Royce’s verse, it sounds like the PREFECT complement to Eminem’s verse on BIG’s “Dead Wrong”. Compare the following:
R: “There’s several different levels of picking up shovels and dumping you in ditches…”
E: “There’s several different levels, a devil worshipping horse’s heads…”
R: “I’d rather reach for your neck and I never heat you for respect unless you greet me with less”
E: “I beat you to death with weapons that eat through the flesh and I never eat you unless the fuckin’ meat looks fresh”
R: “I got a skunk in my trunk, I’m lying I got a pump in my trunk, you dying, how many lumps ni@@as want”
E: “I got a lion in my pocket, I’m lying, I got a nine in my pocket and baby I’m just dying to cock it”
R: “Who’s ready for ya’ll? We ready for ya’ll, we incredibly raw, for any artist who said he would draw”
E: “Who’s ready for war? I’m ready for war, with machetes and swords for any faggot who said he was raw”
Either Em’s verse is recycled from a collabo they wrote together for, or Em bit Royce’s verse and switched it up. I’m thinking the first.
Irony = spelling PERFECT wrong. I love unintentional irony.
LOL
THE HOMEY EM GOT THAT NO QUEST
Em is “killing” Jay on this joint.
To G.C.
The Dead Wrong verse was for of course the posthumous-created lp for biggie…Royce used that song as reference in respect to Em..sort of a subliminal sign of respect.
G.C. that was a dope observation homie. I didn’t even catch that. I did think that it sounded a bit familiar but never thought hard enough as to where i would have heard it from, but you got that one. Damn I feel slow…
what Em says about the track in the current XXL-issue (an exception):
“I did a demo of the song with Royce Da 5′9″. But Jay came in with a short window to get something done for his album. So I asked Royce and he was cool if I gave it to Jay, and I sent it to him to knock it out.”
Like a thief in the night
I stumbled at first to get it right
Now I walk calmly in darkness with no need for a light
The essence of my soul shines as bright as the so-called stars in the heavens
As time blows away in the wind like grains of sand
And slips through open hands standing, stolen and deported to an alien land
With money and religion I’ve long washed my hands
While the lost sheep sit and wait for god in a building
When he already said
If you read
That his spirit dwells not in any structure constructed by mans hands
Without overstanding of self
You fail to see the true god in your Arm Leg Leg Arm and Head (A.L.L.A.H.)
360 degrees from being born dead to fully living when you die
I await my fate wholeheartedly while the meek are scared to look their demise in the eyes
You could never figure out how my mind still maintains
Despite this rugged road I’ve traveled across this tough terrain
See I studied how to make sworn rivals into to faithful disciples
Even the likes of Judas
I already knew he sold me out, for it was part of the plan we conspired
In all reality
When 5-0 came to detain me
My whole click opened fire
Just another lie covered up and classified in your King James B.I.B.L.E.
If you sick and tired of being sick and fed up now
Just wait till the New World Order’s Codex Alimentarius Agenda comes down: (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5266884912495233634# )