Overview

• Will.i.am proclaimed during a July 22 interview on Sway in the Morning that Black Thought is “a trillion times better” than Jay-Z, citing his superior freestyle originality.
• He called for a head-to-head showdown between the two MCs and proposed using an AI simulator to definitively determine the stronger rapper.
• Will.i.am placed Jay-Z among his top five rappers while emphasizing that his endorsement of Black Thought does not detract from Jay-Z’s enduring legacy.
• Fans and critics reignited long-standing debates on social media over hip-hop’s greatest MCs, with many evaluating the viability of a live or AI-driven battle.
• Earlier this month, Will.i.am and Taboo released “East LA” alongside a statement advocating for Los Angeles’s immigrant communities and highlighting their contribution to the city.