Photo: Still
Time for a brief history lesson. Before hip hop was established as a cultural movement (1974 in case you were wondering), there was a theatrical style of improvisational rhyme in West Africa that was performed by a group of travelling troubadours called The Griots who excelled in witticism and improvisational comedy in rhyme - they were the original freestylers, except back then it was called The Dozens.
Jump through the jazz era, through reggae infusement and the Harlem Renaissance to the 1980s, when hip hop was an established artform and, unfortunately, a business. This tradition never died out, in fact, all of the greatest to ever spit started on street corners, cutting their teeth to anyone who was willing to listen.
Kanye West, Jay Z, Nas and even Nicki Minaj all started at the bottom. We went digging and found the earlier instances of the world’s most notorious rappers flexing their MCing muscles before the fame.
Kanye West (1996)
Fresh faced and 19 years of age, Yeezy proved himself a mroe than capable MC even before he broke the world as the hottest producer of the early 2000s. Still rocking the polos, his referential style has come a long way but actually lost the hunger and impactful flow presenter here.
Dopest line: "My style ain't original 'cos I stole it from the future"
Mos Def (n/a)
Mos Def's flow is one of the most idiosyncratic and consistent in the game. This is the result of years of it being knocked into shape by tireless freestyling. This undated example is just further proof that no MC can ride a beat like Def.
Dopest line: "Raw style synergy / Recognize Symmetry / Constant to the edge of me / Broken down chemically"
Notorious B.I.G (1989)
Before people called him Big Poppa, Christopher Wallace had mastered the art of freestyling by age 13. By 17 he was dropping absolutely monster verses on street corners on a regular basis. His ability to translate the same vigour and charisma onto record is unmatched to this day.
Dopest line: "I stay close to mine like Tina on Turner / Quick to smother, a punk mothafucker / Undercover, word to mother, I'm above ya."
Jay Z (1990)
As we've mentioned in the past, there are two eras of Jay: pre-Illmatic and post. This TV spot sees a nameless Shaun Carter dropping a brief, flurry of lines at a flow speed that the Brooklyn MC has never returned to. Now the most powerful man in music, it's reassuring to see that even the greatest started off in dodgy pink t-shirts and questionable haircuts.
Dopest line: "Together, forever, I'll always endeavour to prevail".
Stormzy (2001)
The good folks at Noisey did the internet a great service sharing footage of an eight year old Stormzy busting rhymes about how smelly girls are and the plight of the schoolboy. Reluctantly laying down his PS2 controller, the BBC Sound of 2015 shortlister showcases a genuinely solid flow that can still be heard in the abrasive brand of grime Stormzy sports these days.
Dopest line: "Hold up my head, pull up my jeans / Spit bare rhymes in the school canteen"
Eminem (1994)
We've all seen 8 Mile so we know how the story ends. Em becomes the hottest freestyler in Detroit and fame, riches and a myriad addictions fall in his lap. But what if I told you it was actually a true story? This clip was recorded two years prior to Mathers' debut album, Infinity and doesn't have the great lighting and dramatics of the blockbuster.
Dopest line: "I don't mean to boast / look my face is pale / but you like you seen a ghost"
Nicki Minaj (2007)
Look, I'm get as sick as you are of Minaj's most recent output, but there's no need to say she's a shit rapper, because she's just not. Pre-2009, Minaj was working hard, dropping hellfire verses anywhere she could. Check out this budget 'Dirty Money' freestyle for a taste of the Conquering Queen in the early days. She might have a completely different look but the fire and hunger is still there - she's so driven she even caveats her own freestyle with a sign off message that has another freestyle in it.
Dopest line: "Way I ride the drum they salute me in the slum / In the 6 hun the color of bubble gum"
Nas (1991)
The greatest of all time, Nas was the master of The Dozens both on record and off the dome. Check out the Time Is Illmatic documentary for further proof, but this verse from Live at the Barbecue could have stood up to even the strongest on the rapper's seminal debut three years later. He spits with the maturity and discipline of someone who had been in the game for decades rather just a number of years. If there was ever an argument for destiny, this is it.
Dopest line: I move swift and uplift your mind / Shoot the gift when I riff in rhyme / Rappin sniper, speakin real words / My thoughts react, like Steven Spielberg's.
