While Jadakiss has long been considered one of hip-hop’s most underrated figures, he’s also got one of the genre’s most recognizable voices. His gravely tone has graced some of rap’s most beloved hits for nearly three decades, as demonstrated by his standout performance in The Lox’s Verzuz battle with The Diplomats, and he’s still a favorite go-to for a feature verse for contemporary artists who need his signature sound to bring some New York grit to their own work.
In the upcoming debut episode of Uproxx’s newest show, Fresh Pair, Jadakiss breaks down his own top five voices in hip-hop with hosts Just Blaze and Katty Customs. It’s a fascinating look into one of the most underrated facets of rap success from one of the most successful but underrated artists in the business.
“Nobody never asked me who I think got the top five or top three or any kind of voices,” he exclaims before settling into deep thought. “It took me a while… [to learn] how somebody’s voice can add on to what they bring to the table.”
He cites a few classic MCs as influences to his own unmistakable tone, but we won’t spoil it here. You can check out his answers in the video above and catch the full episode of Fresh Pair on Wednesday 9/28 at 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT.