Dame Dash Claims Jay-Z Beat LL Cool J in 90s Rap Battle

Dame Dash, the former CEO of Roc-a-Fella Records, has shared new details regarding a long-rumored rap battle from the 1990s between Jay-Z and LL Cool J. Speaking on the program The Art of Dialogue, Dash claimed that the encounter resulted in a decisive victory for Jay-Z, suggesting that LL Cool J was unable to recover from the experience.

Dash described the event as an embarrassing moment for LL Cool J, asserting that the Roc-a-Fella camp spent the aftermath laughing at the veteran rapper. According to Dash, the battle was so impactful that LL Cool J never truly got over the loss.

“All I know is we battled LL, and we burned him that day. Since that day, LL never got over that shit. It was bad. Yeah, we was laughing at L.” Dame Dash, former Roc-a-Fella CEO

During the discussion, Dash highlighted a specific moment during the battle where LL Cool J allegedly performed a rhyme from the track Funkadelic Relic before the song’s official release in 1993. Dash recalled that the group reacted with derision, telling the rapper to get that Funkadelic shit out of here.

Unreleased Diss Albums

Beyond the immediate battle, Dash alleged that LL Cool J’s competitive nature led him to record an entire album dedicated to dissing Jay-Z. Dash claimed that while the music was of high quality and the rapping was effective, the projects were never released to the public.

“LL made albums completely, and these albums were ill, just ripping, dissing Jay, but he never put them out. Go ask LL…if he made a whole album, dissing Jay, and why he ain’t put it out. But I heard that shit. And it was good.” Dame Dash, former Roc-a-Fella CEO

Despite the competitive friction and the alleged lyrical attacks, Dash maintained a level of respect for the artist, referring to him as his man and describing him as a real rapper who is highly competitive.

LL Cool J’s Perspective

LL Cool J has previously offered a different account of the encounter. He explained that at the time of the battle, he was in a different professional position than those he was facing. He noted that while others had not yet secured deals, he was already several albums into his career.

LL Cool J stated that he did not have a suitcase of rhymes ready for the occasion, which limited his ability to compete at full capacity. He recalled performing a few rhymes and a small portion of the song Ain’t No Stopping This before Jay-Z began rapping.

“I was out of rhymes, b. In no scenario was I fully loaded and ready to rhyme. If I was, I’m not exactly the first rapper that you really want to get into that shit with.” LL Cool J