Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Cam’ron vs. Jadakiss…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups in a “playoffs style.” Since Fall 2014, and for the next several months, we will roll out battles, starting with artists from similar eras paired against one another, until one undisputed King or Queen of the microphone reigns supreme.

Two Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam Records stars, from different halves of the 2000s advance from Round 1, only to face off in Round 2. Both of these heralded MCs belong to crews associated with a reigning era in New York City Rap. Punchlines, wordplay, humor, and anabolic doses of confidence have made Cam’ron and Jadakiss forces to be reckoned with—strong sellers with the unquantifiable levels of street respect. From above 110th Street, Killa Cam and ‘Kiss meet in the trenches of democracy (click to vote).

Voting For Round 2 is now closed. Stay up to date with the latest Finding The GOAT brackets

Cam'ron

or

Jadakiss

Cam’ron (First Round Winner, Against Eve 62% to 38%)

Camron_goat

In a deadpan serious Rap era, Cam’ron made it fashionable to be silly. Cameron Giles has been an ambassador to so many Harlem, New York styles: the slang, the flamboyant dress, but also, the snapping. With a staccato flow, Killa Cam has stuffed his flows with humorous social commentary, that at a distance, is some of the strongest wordplay in ’90s and 2000s Rap. Versatile in image, Cam’ brought his love of Hip-Hop, and helped toughen up New York City’s aesthetic. A product of “the shiny suit era,” Cam bridges the gap between his childhood friends/Children Of The Corn band-mates, Big L and Ma$e. Sometimes lyrical and aggressive and other times slow and soft-spoken, Cam has been one of Harlem’s biggest Rap stars of all-time.

Decorated with two gold and one platinum LP, Cam’ron’s deliberately been too hard-nosed for mainstream. The MC who frequently uses compound rhymes has always found approval in the streets, launching his Diplomats team in the image of Wu-Tang Clan, Naughty By Nature, and Boot Camp Clik. Whether rhyming beside KRS-One, Nicki Minaj, or J.R. Writer, Cam’s been the kind of artist whose skills forever get in where they fit in. This MC enjoyed the spectacle of the digital era, but his ’90s roots remain in his writing, humor, and over-arching style.

Other Notable Songs:

“357” (1998)
“Killa Cam” (2003)
“Curve” (2006)

Jadakiss (First Round Winner, Against Crooked I 69% to 31%)

jadakiss_goat

Jadakiss has built a reputation as one of Hip-Hop’s populist champions. Claiming a “Top 5, Dead Or Alive” status for years, the Yonkers, New York member of The LOX (and a prominent soloist) has combined clever wordplay with street-respected lore in his art. With a hardcore delivery, textured voice, and real life anecdotes that fall into the Gangsta Rap canon, ‘Kiss awakens the senses.

Although Jadakiss seemingly lacks the unanimously agreed upon classic album, the MC’s consistency through albums, features and mixtapes has been supreme since the 1990s. A disciple of The Notorious B.I.G., Jada’ has gone on to be a role model to his contemporaries and artists that follow—highly respected, with crossover appeal despite no compromise. Juggling his D-boy wisdom with insights on race, politics, and more, Jadakiss is versatile, and if the streets of the East Coast are any indication, the Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam soloist has been in the “top of the class” discussion for more than a decade.

Other Notable Tracks:

“Welcome To D-Block” (with The Lox and Eminem) (2004)
“Run” (with Ghostface Killah) (2005)
“Walk With Me” (with Freeway & Busta Rhymes) (2007)

So…who you got?

Related: Check Out The Finding The GOAT Round 2 Ballots & Round 2 Results