Someone ring the bell! Fat Joe is going toe to toe with rapper Ja Rule in a Verzuz battle in New York City this month. This announcement comes after the success of Verzuz’s most recent New York City battle between groups Dipset and the Lox, in which Fat Joe gave a viral recap on the event.
For those unfamiliar with Verzuz, it’s a live competition between two artists (or groups) where each performs 20 of their songs in a multi-hour showdown. The competition became a viral sensation over the pandemic as it began over Instagram Live to entertain everyone during stay-at-home orders. It has now transitioned to in-person events that are live-streamed. Past battles have seen face-offs between Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, Gladys Knight and Pattie LaBelle, and Ludacris and Nelly. The Ashanti vs. Keyshia Cole Verzuz Battle was the most-watched contest with over six million viewers earlier this year.
On social media, both hip-hop legends acknowledged their upcoming match-up. Fat Joe posted, “The price just went [up]” and included six flame emojis.
Ja Rule tweeted two emojis – a flame and a wave – but didn’t offer extra commentary.
So, who do you think has the edge in this rap battle? Below are five songs we wouldn’t be surprised to see from Fat Joe on the big night.
The Fat Joe vs. Ja Rule Verzuz Battle takes place September 14 at 9 p.m. EST. Watch the competition live on the Triller app or at Fite.tv or Verzuztv.com. Tickets for the in-person event will be available for purchase on September 7.
What's Luv?
This single is from his 2001 album Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.). The song, which hit No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, features vocals by Ashanti and Ja Rule. Fat Joe and Ja Rule got credit on the song as co-writers. Last year, Fat Joe revealed to Ashanti that Ja Rule wanted to put Jennifer Lopez on the track, but he loved how the demo sounded with Ashanti, so they kept her on.
Lean Back
The hip-hop group Terror Squad had this song on their 2004 album True Story. Fat Joe and Remy Ma were featured on it, and it hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 that year. Fat Joe released a remixed version featuring Tego Calderon and Tony Touch as a tribute to his Puerto Rican roots.
All the Way Up
The 2016 song was released on Fat Joe and Remy Ma’s collaborative album Plata O Plomo. The song features rappers French Montana and Infrared. It was nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the Grammys.
Twinz (Deep Cover 98)
Fat Joe is featured on this song from Big Pun’s 1998 album Capital Punishment. The track, which is a take on Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s 1992 single “Deep Cover,” was produced by Dr. Dre. In a past interview, Fat Joe shared that this song was to create something that could be listened to in both the east and west coast during the ’90s east coast–west coast hip-hop rivalry era.
Make It Rain
The song was released on Fat Joe’s 2006 album, Me, Myself & I — and it features verses by Lil Wayne. At the 50th Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The song went Platinum in the United States with one million sales.