Who knew the story behind hip-hop's biggest tragedy would also ignite one of the most memorable moments in the genre?

This month on ThrowBLKs, we're hitting the time machine to revisit a highly competitive era as two emcees begin their legendary careers as egos clash throughout the city. Hear how Nas' game-changing debut "Illmatic" influenced another 1994 rap classic, leading Ghostface and Raekwon to call out The Notorious B.I.G. -- the incomparable rookie that was very close to another rising talent in Brooklyn named Jay-Z. As years pass, Jay-Z and Nas both become involved in the controversial beef with B.I.G. and 2Pac, both receiving individual disses from the two legends. Unfortunately, tensions lead to deaths that left a very empty throne for the taking. Rap fans witnessed many years of sneak disses and competitive jabs between Nas and Jay-Z, setting a slow burn for the release of two albums that changed both artists' careers: 'The Blueprint' and 'Stillmatic'.

Hear our track-by-track relisten of both albums to share why their showdown still runs conversations today, including our favorite moments between the projects, a retrace of how the battle was viewed within New York City and the parallel's between 2024's clash between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

🔊 Tune in every month on Patreon as ThrowBLKs covers more of our favorite albums from different eras in music -- all genres are on the table! As a patron, you'll be able to enjoy these bonuses early before they're released for all listeners.