Now you know we gotta talk about some Rakim and Kane and G Rap and Kane. A lot of people have said you and G Rap always had an unspoken competition.

Kane: Me and G Rap had a competitive relationship but it was for the best. It was the type of thing where we’d talk on the phone at night and G would be like I got this joint and he’d kick it and I’d go aiight I got something. When we hang up the phone we like damn he came hard and we back to the pen and paper. We always had love for each other. For me there was always a certain way I felt about G. I always feel like I took his slot. I felt like if I would have never fucked with Cold Chillin’ he would have been that ill lyricist to really blow that way. I always felt he never got the props he deserved. When I took off it wasn’t really room for two so my man never got to shine the way I know he could have. I don’t think the world really knows how great that nigga is on the mic.

What about you and Rakim? I’ve been reading about how they were trying to build up that rivalry and wanted you two to battle. Marcus and me were talking about it earlier like who would win if Kane actually battled Rakim. What was the relationship with you guys throughout that whole era cuz ya’ll were the shit, period.

Kane: We always been cool. We never had no problem or whatnot. I always thought it would have been nice [to battle]. I was always down to do it but I mean it was like we were friends. I think a lot of other people blew it out of proportion but we didn’t have no personal beef. I never disliked him. I thought it would have been nice though because it’s like here is who everybody is talking about. It would be nice to know who’s the nicest. Better yet you can’t really say that because it’s like with boxing, there are people Lennox Lewis lost too and came back and beat. That lost didn’t mean that person was better than him. So I can’t really say that. It would have been nice if it would have happen I’ll just say that.

That would have been crazy. That tape would be like gold. Everyone would want to have that.

Kane: When they did Rap Mania they tried to make that happen. For the second one they tried to make it into a battle situation.

Everybody tried to say ya’ll had little stuff ya’ll were saying about each other on record but that’s probably what you mean when you said they blew it out of proportion. Did you ever put any jabs out there just for competition?

Kane: Nah and you know it’s funny cuz when I hear what people be talking I can see where they may have thought something. Like on “Set It Off” they made a comment about “Rap soloist/you don’t want none of this.” I think on “Eric B. 4 President” he said you know that I’m the soloist. My exact words were ‘Feel my blood fist, or my death kiss/ The rap soloist/ You don’t want none of this’ meaning that I’m a rap soloist and the competition don’t want none of this. If you rhyme alone you a motherfuckin soloist so I mean whoever ran a different direction with it just cuz Ra referred to himself as the soloist don’t make him the only god damn soloist.

When the “Vapors” came out and people finally got to associate the name with the face how did your life change?

Kane: Oh pussy galore.

Haha

Kane: Come on man. How you think it changed. Word up that was all I needed. Big up to Lionel Martin.

When I was in the sixth grade, word was going around you and Kwame were brothers.

Kane: Haha. I think Kwame started the rumor. Nah that’s my man he’s a talented brother, he is doing his thing right now on the production side. I got a lot of respect for that brother.

You’ve pretty much seen everything go down in hiphop. What were some of the most memorable things you’ve seen happen?

Kane: Let me see. The night when KRS and them threw PM Dawn off the stage.

Haha

Kane: I ain’t know what was going on I thought cats was getting rushed. I really ain’t know what was popping off. What else, oh the night when Roxanne Shante battled Fruitkwan at the DMC joint. Yea when Shante took out Fruitkwan. You know that’s kinda ugly right there. Another incident was something that happened with Kool Moe Dee. It was something that he told me giving me props and it really meant a lot to me coming from him. I can’t really tell you what he said but it meant a whole lot because if you familiar with the battle with him and Busy Bee, the verses he used to spit on them old tapes or like that song he made called “Turn It Up,” Kool Moe Dee in the early eighties was that nigga. For him to give me that type of credit really meant a lot. I don’t think he really know how much he touched me that day.

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Posted by Halftime on Thursday, April 8th, 2004 and is filed under HIP HOP ICON SERIES.