10 Great Rapcity Tha Basement "Freestyles"

Do you remember when Big Tigger would get in the "booth" with his Basement guests?  Do you Remember Tha Basement at all?  

What a time to be alive that was!  I know people prefer their freestyles without a beat under it but I'm always down to hear someone rap over a beat since... you know that's a big part of music.  

Anyway, on Tha Basement, rappers could come on and do verses from their upcoming album or actually try to freestyle but always over a popular beat.  To me that separated the weak from the strong in terms of who could ride the beat even with memorised stuff or off the top. This isn't an exhaustive list since I have to depend on YouTube and also I have a terrible memory so... lay off!

Artist:
Buju Banton & Elephant Man

Freestyle or Nah:
Honestly, I just love the energy here!  There was a Sean Paul one too that you can look up on your own time but he was doing something I knew was written and it wasn't going that well to the beat so... here we are with two artists making it look like fun.

Artist:
Dipset

Freestyle or Nah:
It might just be the beat or nostalgia that makes me think this deserves to be up here.  I have no problem watching the theatre of Cam pretending he's more interested in counting his money than performing his verse.  That's Diplomats at their finest.

Artist:
Eminem (Starting @ 0:44)

Freestyle or Nah:
This seems to be the only way I can get an actual Eminem in Tha Basement video up here so I've made it easy and given you the time stamp.  I might just be biased here, but I dig Em in freestyle mode and I appreciate that at least these aren't verses you can hear on his albums.  I think he really did go off the dome for Tha Basement sections.

Artist:
Jay Z

Freestyle or Nah:
This is one that I would always recite.  I thought it was such a SIIIIIICK Nas diss.  Plus, if you get past the PSA portion it's a specific verse for this taping.  I get that it's clearly not off the top of his head but at least it's an exclusive for the show!

Artist:
Joe Budden

Freestyle or Nah:
You gotta respect that Big Tigger actually tried to freestyle with these artists.  You thought it was fun for him to rap with Buju and Ely but Joe has bars!  So good for you Tigger.  I know Joe spit a written but since I had every single mixtape by him ever I don't remember where it's from.  Either way, way to ride the beat, Bruh!  Let's all look past the fact that Joe's high, and asks his son to assault his baby's mother at the end because he had a good album last year.

Artist:
Kanye West

Freestyle or Nah:
Oh that's cute, Kanye's Big Brother used this beat too!  I love this verse by Kanye by the way.  I know it ended up on Late Registration with Brandy but I first heard it on a song with Common, Consequence, and Talib Kweli... check it out here!

Artist:
Killer Mike & Big Boi

Freestyle or Nah:
Everybody here freestyled!  Don't believe me?  Wait till Big Boi gets on the mic!  And this is my favourite of all these videos.  I don't know why but I always lose my mind when Killer Mike references a poster or sticker in the room.

Artist:
LL Cool J

Freestyle or Nah:
Once again, the theatrics of taking a dump on the game by actually sitting on a toilet while spitting trumps actually going off the top for this video.  Plus it reminds you that Uncle L can spit when he wants to!  I'm a Jamie Foxx fan, but DAAAAMN!  He said he wasn't as funny as Chris Rock!  Here's some background from the Jamie Foxx special.

Artist:
Ludacris

What's so Special:
There's no chance this isn't a freestyle.  I forget which album he stopped but it felt like he had a cypher on one track per album that made you realize he actually can go off the dome.  Plus Big Tigger came back and actually responded which makes me happy and makes it seem even more authentic.

Artist:
State Property

Freestyle or Nah:
No.  My first clue?  Everyone is saying everyone else's lines... also everyone who's real remembers the famous D-Block vs State Property beef and has probably memorised these bars.  But, listening to Beanie Sigel, Young Gunz, and Freeway is never not good!  Why does Big Tigger look mad though?

-YG