Two New York City rappers who attained chart-topping success in bygone areas aim to square off in the next Verzuz battle.
Hip-hop luminaries Ja Rule and Fat Joe are slated for the next Verzuz battle at 8 p.m. Tuesday via Instagram, the Triller app and the Fite TV app.
The battle follows up another New York-based event, the Dipset – The Lox matchup which was widely viewed as a lopsided affair in the eyes of many hip-hop fans.
Bronx native Fat Joe, who originally went by the nickname Fat Joe da Gangsta, is best known for his association with D.I.T.C (Diggin’ In The Crates Crew), a rap collective featuring Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Big L, Showbiz & A.G., O.C., and Buckwild, among others, along with the Terror Squad, most notably with Big Pun, who died in 2000 (Fat Joe was also an early Relativity Records label mate of Chicago hip-hop legend Common).
Joe’s hits over time include “Flow Joe,” “Success,” “Bet Ya Man Can’t Triz,” “All I Need,” “What’s Luv,” featuring previous Verzuz battle contestant Ashanti, “Thuggin’ ” w/R.Kelly, “Lean Back,” and “All the Way Up,” among many others.
Ja Rule burst onto the scene with a featured verse on Jay-Z’s 1998 hit single “Can I Get A…”. Ja Rule’s debut album “Venni Vetti Vecci,” produced the hit “Holla Holla.” He later became a key figure in two versions of Murder, Inc. — the most well-known version of the group features Jay-Z and deceased Verzuz contestant DMX.
New York rapper Ja Rule boasts chart-topping hits and a highly-publicized association with a failed music festival.AP
The Queens native’s standout tracks include “Put it on Me,” “Always on Time,” “Livin’ it Up,” “Thug Lovin” with Bobby Brown, and “New York” featuring Fat Joe and The Lox member Jadakiss.
In later years, the Murder, Inc. affiliate is most known for his highly-publicized rivalry with fellow Queens rapper 50 Cent, and his role in the Fyre Festival, an ill-fated island music experience which spawned two documentaries.
Acts have yet to be announced for future Verzuz battles.
