Posted by Revered as one of hip-hop’s most respected lyricists, Jadakiss is known to have a way with words. For more than 20 years, the veteran MC behind anthems like “We Gonna Make It,” “Knock Yourself Out” and “Why” has put his bars up against the best of them, including rap game G.O.A.T.s such Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, Lil Wayne, The Notorious B.I.G. and many others. The legendary wordsmith, who famously claimed to be Top 5 Dead or Alive by the time he released his first album, Kiss the Game Goodbye, in 2001, had his knowledge of acronyms tested for XXL’s new series Rapcronyms.
The Lox member ran through acronyms attached to crew names like A$AP, M.O.P., EPMD and Junior M.A.F.I.A. The latter, which stands for Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes, stumped the Yonkers, N.Y. native. “I’m not sure if any one of the members know if that’s what that stands for,” said Jada. “I’m quite sure three or four of them don’t know that.”
Kiss also tackled current slang terms like H.A.M. and THOT, a.k.a. That Hoe Over There. “They gave a new name to whore,” said the “Me” rapper, who doesn’t mind taking the traditional route. “Shout out to Blac Youngsta. He still uses it the best.”
When it comes to GURU (Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal), Jada proves his rap knowledge runs deep. He gets the correct answer quick. "Told you, I'm a fan and a student of hip-hop," he asserts.
Aside from his rap acronyms knowledge, Jadakiss has a new album out. He named his most recent project, Ignatius. The legendary rapper’s fifth solo album houses 13 tracks, including the songs “Me,” “Kisses to the Sky” and “Hunting Season,” which features a verse from Pusha-T. Collaborations with John Legend, Ty Dolla $ign, Dej Loaf and 2 Chainz also appear throughout the LP. Jada says the effort “celebrates the life of my brother Icepick Jay, another one we lost too soon.”
Watch as Jadakiss gets quizzed on some of hip-hop’s best known acronyms in the video below.
See 25 of the Best Hip-Hop Album Outros Since 2000