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.

The last week of Round 2 gets some Long Island wylin’ in the latest match-up. Erick Sermon was a landslide winner against a living legend in Biz Markie. For De La Soul’s Trugoy, it was the slimmest of winning scores against the late Heavy D. The two 25-plus-year veteran artists are masters of evolution, musicality, and etching out hits no matter the circumstance. With plenty of range, charisma, and ties to other genres of music, E-Double and Plug 2 represent just how difficult the ballots in Round 2 can be (click to vote):

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

Erick Sermon (First Round Winner, Against Biz Markie 79% to 21%)

Before Large Professor, Lord Finesse, and the Dr. Dre that we know about today, Erick Sermon was a supreme producer who could tear down his own beats. Alongside Parrish Smith, E-Double is a comical, pop culture-savvy MC who has a raspy, bigger than life delivery in making EPMD a gold-certified independent Rap crew. More than 25 years later, on his own, in the group, with Def Squad, and everything in between, the Green-Eyed Bandit has delivered fundamental rhyme skills into the new millennium.

Erick Sermon’s delivery comes from the show-and-prove ’80s. While it was always “business,” Sermon forever seemed to be having fun on the microphone, as he bragged about his skills, keeping “Jane” at bay, and his unwavering love of “music.” With a nasal delivery and effortless cadence, Sermon proved to be a major influence on The Notorious B.I.G., in addition to his tangible mentorship of Redman, Keith Murray, Method Man, and the earliest days of Rick Ross. A true microphone commander, the ‘E’ forever used a soft approach, never shuttering his self-confidence. However, against the didactic contemporaries, Erick’s sermons have always been palpable, easily digestible reminders of what pedigree he comes from. A keeper of the funk, a bringer of the bounce, and a gifted giver of the gab, this timeless Hip-Hop voice may make the fisherman hat a crown.

Notable Tracks:

“It’s My Thing” (with EPMD) (1988)
“Why Not” (with Slick Rick) (2000)
“Music” (with Marvin Gaye) (2001)

Trugoy (First Round Winner, Against Heavy D 52% to 48%)

While no member of De La Soul has ever made a solo album, it could be argued that Posdnuos has been the Long Island trio’s front man. However, while Plug 1 has a seemingly endless supply of dope rhymes, so does Trugoy, also known as Plug 2, also known in recent years simply as “Dave.” Perhaps it’s the name that’s held back David Jolicoeur, the phenomenally versatile MC of more than 25 years.

Trugoy (“yogurt” spelled backwards), like Pos’, has been whimsical with his always-tight rhymes. Sometimes about a fictional land of “Ohhh,” Dave’s been skilled in opening up about race, politics, sex, and the inner-workings of a “ghetto thing.” That versatility has helped make De La so enduring, and skilled at adapting the times, no matter the production, label, or Hip-Hop landscape changes. Tru’ has been truly nothing short of amazing, and arguably (like Maseo and Pos), the cruel victim of making the sum always bigger than the parts. Rarely working outside of the group, Dave has been incredible at establishing a brand and never compromising. Do any MCs write more on the behalf of their collective/each other than Trugoy and Posdnuos?

Other Notable Tracks:

“Eye Know” (with De La Soul) (1989)
“Stakes Is High” (with De La Soul) (1996)
“Verbal Clap” (with De La Soul) (2004)