Double Trouble - Eminem and Royce the 5'9"

Nothing quite like good ol' fashion bar sharing between two MCs. I have written before about the roots of this type of exchange and how good it can sound when done well.

There are a few artists that still get down like that here and there, although they don't do the harmonize rhyming old schoolers did.

Bad Meets Evil by Royce the 5'9" and Eminem has a few examples of this type of back and forth. One of my favorite tracks is A Kiss.

If you can get past the gratuitous misogyny and violence you'll see the that these two displayed real chemistry with their flow. They also managed to slip in lots of over-the-top humor on this solid beat.

Double Trouble

If trading verses with someone is at hip-hop music's core, then exchanging bars within a verse runs even deeper. It was much more of a staple in classic hip-hop, however, there were many golden era collectives that employed the rhyme scheme as well. It was something that separated regular groups from more lyrical outfits.

This precise, synchronized banter something that I don't see happen as much for some reason. I have always been impressed with rappers who through collaborative writing, deft skill and strong chemistry, are able to literally trade bars within the same verse.

That said, Ghost and Rae's lock-step chemistry is on full display on "The M.G.M." from Wu-Tang Forever. The setting for this back-and-forth fisticuffs is a boxing match at the the MGM Grand Casino. The two MCs effortlessly bob and weave in and out of the True Master track, seamlessly transitioning from the social scene to the details of the fight.

"Seventh round, Chavez bleedin from his right ear
Yo keep ya eye on that same nigga from right her" 

While their love for the fight game has been evidenced through other songs, what had not been was their sociopolitical sports history knowledge.

"Tenth round Chavez tearin em down 
Sweet Pea get ya shit off 
It's like blacks against the Germans
Gettin hit off"

The second boxing match between German, Max Schmeling and black American, Joe Louis was a historic event. Set to the backdrop of the Great Depression, Nazi Germany/U.S. relations and racism against blacks this bout was dripping with national, racial and political undertones.