In a new interview with Vlad TV, Big Daddy Kane opens up about what he was doing in 1982 and 1983. Five years before Long Live The Kane, the would-be Brooklyn, New York superstar was traveling the streets of New York, looking for challenges. He even took aim at one particular Treacherous 3 MC who also carries an iron-clad rep.

“Think that I started taking MC’ing very serious probably from the very beginning,” Big Daddy Kane told Vlad TV. “Because I started as a battle rapper. It was something that I was doing hoping that I could hang with my older cousin. I was going to different neighborhoods around Brooklyn battling cats back in—this started in ’82, so that’s like eighth grade. Maybe 13, 14…Before I actually got a deal I don’t think I battled any known artists.”

“I did ask Kook Moe Dee for a battle, but he didn’t battle me,” Kane expounded. “He talks about it in his [There’s A God On The Mic] book. He just kept walking saying ‘Nah shorty, you don’t want it.’ But I did ask him for a battle back in like—I wanna say around ’83…I know I was ready, but that was Moe Dee in his prime. After the annihilation of Busy Bee and those famous two bars about [Grandmaster] Melle Mel. I mean, he was the battle king back then.”

So, if it went down, who would have won?

Related: Finding The GOAT: Kurtis Blow vs. Kool Moe Dee…Who You Got?