If there’s been one silver lining to this whole quarantine era, it’s that beat battles by legendary producers have increased by about three hundred percent. Last night, Scott Storch went up against Mannie Fresh in a duel that saw countless classic records highlighted; if you weren’t already aware that each producer has assembled a truly stacked discography, consider their epic battle a masterclass in hip-hop history. And while Mannie Fresh certainly fought valiantly, it wasn’t enough to sway the loyalty of Scott’s longtime friend and collaborator Fat Joe.
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Taking to Instagram, Joey Crack offered up his take on the outcome, a decisive victory in favor of Scott Storch. “Not even close @scottstorchofficial,” writes Joe. “I have it 18-2 congrats Scott.” Storch slid into the comments to return the love, a testament to the pair’s mutual respect. While it’s unclear which rounds Joey felt that Mannie secured, you can bet it wasn’t the one that featured “Lean Back.” To this day, the Terror Squad anthem stands as one of Storch’s most iconic classics, a defining chapter in both his and Joe’s extensive catalog.
Yet not everybody agreed with Joe’s take — both Charlamagne and Envy questioned the decisive nature of the victory, while Fabolous gave it to Storch with a total of 14-9. On the other hand, co-organizer and beat battle veteran Timbaland seemed alright with Joey’s consensus.
All things considered, it’s truly awesome to see Scott Storch getting the love he deserves, especially after experiencing a modern-day comeback. Don’t be surprised to see rappers hitting him up with recurring frequency, especially after he put on such a clinic last night. Do you agree with Fat Joe? Was the battle really so one-sided in Scott’s favor?
