Truly, this is my favorite collaboration so far of 2013. While R.A. The Rugged Man’s story has always inspired me (and I’m a fan of his journalism), his released works rarely moved me. However, Legends Never Die is truly a grabbing album this year, and this song is my favorite moment from it. R.A. is more than just a mechanical mandible, as this old school-themed collaboration defies age, defies genre, and is just lasting, powerful music.

Brooklyn-to-Minnesota rocks, as R.A. enlists Masta Ace and Brother Ali for organic chemistry. This collaboration sounds and feels deliberate, more than placing names on a record together like a fantasy football draft. The video is an extension of that, with a James Cagney-era-inspired black & white Thompson Machine Gun theme.

This song is the connection between then and now, and three MCs who are both.

Related: Masta Ace – I Did It (Video)