Nearly three months after accepting Eminem's #GodzillaChallenge, Twista has finally tried his hand at it—and, to say the least, he succeeded. Back in March, while Em's challenge was in still in full swing, Twista declared that he would indeed be participating. Although the contest, which challenged participants to attempt to spit Em's rapidfire verse on the Music To Be Murdered By track, was technically only open to amateurs, several pros like Bizzy Bone and Biz Markie decided to give it a shot. Considering Twista has one of the most high-speed flows of all time, having once held the title for fastest rapper ever in the Guinness Book Of World Records, it seemed like a no-brainer that he too would answer the call—and annihilate the verse.

Unfortunately, Twista never shared his attempt, and later that month, Em crowned a winner of the #GodzillaChallenge. However, it looks like Twista didn't forget about his promise to show off his chops, and on Friday (May 29th), he finally took on the #GodzillaChallenge. "I feel like rapping fast today #GodzillaChallenge," he tweeted. "I’m going to do this #GodzillaChallenge in under a min and put it right out."

Ever since Eminem broke the Guinness World Record for fastest rap of all time with his breakneck "Godzilla," the subsequent #GODZILLACHALLENGE has awoken the competitive spirit of fellow choppers like Bizzy Bone and Twista. And while Bizzy recently tried his hand, albeit in his own unique way, many fans were left wondering whether Twista would answer the call with a response of his own. As it happens, the time has come. Yesterday, Twista took to Twitter to confidently accept the challenge -- much to the rampant delight of his fans.

Given that Twista is one of the quintessential double-time spitters of all time, there's a certain gravitas that comes with his participation. It's unlikely that he'll simply rap Em's verse verbatim, but rather move to one-up Shady's record-breaking lyrical onslaught. Some have even been speculating that a full-blown remix is the only logical conclusion, bringing Em, Twista, and Bizzy Bone together in a no-holds-barred battle of technical prowess. 

One has to wonder if Em's open challenge is enough to get Twista back on his record-breaking mentality, his Adrenaline Rush grind, reclaiming his rightful spot as rap's reigning chopper. In truth, it's kind of strange seeing Em as the current title-holder, given his embrace and subsequent mastery of double-time flow is a relatively recent development. If Twista sets his mind to the task, there's no telling whether Em's record is safe. All we have to do and wait and see what the Chicago legend cooks up. Do you think Twista will be the one to break "Godzilla?" 

Hip hop and R&B fans were floored on Tuesday (February 18) when a flyer for an upcoming concert began to circulate on social media. The Lovers & Friends Festival popped up on Instagram and for their first post, they uploaded a flyer that has caused quite a bit of controversy in less than 24 hours. According to the information provided, the Goldenvoice presented show will take place on May 9 in Los Angeles at "the grounds at Dignity Health Sports Park." However, there have been a few hiccups as both artists and fans have called out the alleged promoters for misinformation.

Artists reportedly performing at the one-day event include Lauryn Hill, Usher, Ludacris, Lil Jon, TLC, Jhené Aiko, Summer Walker, Megna Thee Stallion, Nelly, Sean Paul, T-Pain, Brandy, Monica, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, SWV, Saweetie, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Ginuwine, Dru Hill, Next, 112, Mario, Twista, Eve, Trina, Tweet, Amerie, Mase, Cam'ron, Mike Jones, Montell Jordan, Umi, Jon B, Baby Bash, Frankie J, and Nina Sky.

This lineup is every 1990s and 2000s hip hop and R&B fans' dream, but all may not be what it seems. Initially, Twista insinuated that he hadn't been paid for the show, but later he confirmed that he'd be playing all of his hits. Lil Kim reposted the flyer on her Instagram Story with a message written over it that read, “This is SO FAKE! I am not a part of this.” Mase simply commented, “Best of wishes on this show but pls take my name off this flyer.”

Fans have been voicing their confusion in the comment section as they've stated that although T-Pain is scheduled for Lovers & Friends Festival, he's reportedly also supposed to perform at Rolling Loud the same day. Some also stated that Megan Thee Stallion is supposed to be performing at another event in Washington, D.C. that day, as well, but Broccolli Festival shared that she's scheduled for both events.

Some people have expressed that they're feeling "Fyre Fest vibes," but all id legit, according to Snoop Dogg. The rapper made a brief video where he shared that he was one of the booking agents for the concert and verified that everyone is confirmed. He stated that he thought he was speaking with Lil Kim's representatives when booking her, but if not, he told the Queen Bee to DM him so they could officially add her to the roster.

Fresh off the drop of his recent Lifetime EP, Twista slid through for a conversation at the Hot 97 studios with Ebro and Laura Stylez. The discussion eventually shifts to Eminem‘s “Godzilla,” which currently holds the Guinness World Record for Fastest Rap Verse — a record originally held by Twista for a solid decade. “Mine was the most syllables in a minute,” reflects Twista. “I stopped my record on purpose because I thought people came right behind me to break my record. Nobody ever tried it for over ten years. So by the time somebody broke it, I was already making my joints and my hits. I didn’t really care about it.”

Around the ten minute mark, Twista reflects on the game’s current state, particularly with regards to the perceived death of lyricism in commercial hip-hop. “A lot of young cats don’t really care about intelligence in rap no more,” he says. “Some do, but we saw the decline of intelligent input. Right now you got a lot of people more into the vibe.” 

Circling to his own experience collaborating on his recent Red Bull collaboration project, Twista also reflects on how artists like Drake and Kanye West occasionally use writing teams in the studio. “At this stage in my career, I wrote so many records, when I got presented with the opportunity to express myself than be the lyricist, I wanted to see how the feels like. Let me get in the room with a collective mind, see how I work with other artists. It was a fun project to do with that many different writers who understood my rap style.”

Ebro raises the classic topic of Drake’s ghostwriting controversy, prompting Twista to offer what his solution might have been. “He should have told them I’ll bust your head,” says Twist. “Yeah somebody wrote for me, but if you try me I’ll bust your head with something I wrote…To me, you should be scared of an artist who can make his own records and also chooses to use other people to write. That’s the artist to be scared about. That means his ceiling is high – it’s way over where you thinking. He’s achieving a perfection and he wants a position in music you may not even understand. He knows he can do it, but he knows with these collective minds, he can get it.”

“I told you what he should have told them,” says Twista, with a smile. “I’ll bust your head with my rhymes. I do this to take what I’m doing further.” He reasons that sometimes an artist simply can’t keep up with the pace of their vision, and bringing in a trusted team of collaborators is simply part of the process.   

He’s one of the fastest rhyme spitters in the game, making Twista an icon in hip hop. The Chicago native has a decades-long career filled with hits that are fan favorites, and today he released his latest project Lifetime. The five-pack EP was reportedly created in collaboration with Red Bull, and to help promote the project, Twista visited Hot 97 and chatted with Ebro in the Morning.

During the discussion, Twista talked about his relationship with Kanye West. He said that they met each other in the Chicago music scene while frequenting hip hop clubs. Eventually, the pair worked together on classics like “Slow Jamz” and “Overnight Celebrity,” but in recent years they haven’t stayed in contact. “I haven’t talked to him as much,” Twista admitted. “I talked to Rhymefest recently, I know he goes down there with him. We still cool, we just haven’t talked.”

Twista also shared how he thinks the rap game has changed throughout generations. “A lotta young cats don’t really care about intelligence in rap no more,” said Twista. “Some do, but we been in it for so long we saw the decline of intelligent input. So I think right now you got a lotta people that do music or they listen to music, they all into the vibe.”

Watch Twista’s full interview with Ebro in the Morning below and see what else he had to say about Eminem, quick-rhyming rappers, working with Red Bull, and more.

On Eminem’s Music To Be Murdered By track “Godzilla,”  he closes the track by spitting two-hundred-and-twenty-nine words in thirty seconds. Making short work of his own preexisting world record, Em’s dexterity raised the bar for speed rap to lofty technical heights. Given that he’s currently the fastest rapper in the world, it seems a fitting time to reflect on the evolution of double-time rap, otherwise known as chopping. 

In the early eighties, while rappers like Kool Moe Dee and JJ Fad pushed the boundaries of expected tempo with “New Rap Language” and “Supersonic” respectively, Rakim was evolving the art of flow to new heights. Though the legendary emcee attacked instrumentals with more fluidity than ever before, New York rapper Jaz-O, also known as The Originator, stands as a key pioneer behind the “triplet flow.” A student of music theory, Jaz explained that his dexterous approach was the product of necessity. “I had to stuff those words, those extra syllables in the sixteen so it would transform those syllables into twenty-fourths, which became a triplet of an eighth,” he explained. “That’s why I called it the triplet style.”

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That style was on full display on 1990 single “The Originator,” which featured his young protege Jay-Z long before Reasonable Doubt. In his opening bars Jaz is spitting straight up tongue-twisters: “My rhyming and singing technique is applaudable, living in luxury, and it’s affordable /  no other brother is better than me, the J, the A, the Z.” That’s twenty-six words and forty-one syllables in five seconds. A groundbreaking development, one Jaz picked up from studying blues and jazz. Even the Jigga Man gets in on the action, following the leader with the most dexterous and alliterative verse of his career; he even riffs the oft-memed “lyrical miracle” scheme.  

LISTEN: Jaz-O & Jay-Z – The Originator

Meanwhile in Chicago, a young emcee by the name of Tung Twista was on the verge of making history. On April 7th, 1992, Twista dropped his debut album Runnin’ Off At Da Mouth. The titular track ultimately earned him the Guinness World Record for fastest rap, a title he held for a decade. Over some breakbeat production from DJ Rhythm, Twista let fly syllables at an insane rate, notably quicker than The Originators and other aspiring double-time spitters. “Flowing the lyrical magic of mine I be mopping and sweeping, and breakin’ ’em up and then makin’ ’em break in a sweat,” he spits, after pledging to take a deep breath. “I be makin’ ’em jump and then sit up and lift the style, I be kicking and popping the rhythm I’m rocking and pumping.” Though the substance is somewhat surface-level, the sheer defiance of physiology is enough to astound even today. Unlike Jay-Z, who moved way from speed-rap, Twista embraced it as an integral component of his sound — even to this day. 

LISTEN: Twista – Runnin Off At Da Mouth

It’s impossible to discuss the art of chopping without mentioning Cleveland’s Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Arguably one of the most influential groups in hip-hop history, Bizzy, Krayzie, Layzie, Wish, & Flesh-N-Bone developed a new take on double-time flow, deting away from the breakbeat influences and implementing melodic elements. Their first recorded album Faces Of Death (1993) skewed closer to traditional hip-hop of the time, the double-time flows similar in approach to Jaz and Tung Twista. After linking up with Eazy E and signing to ruthless records, Bone Thugs brought a new style to Creepin On Ah Come Up. Alternating between singsong sections and machine-gun bursts, the group’s flow on breakout single “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” earned immediate acclaim. Though their fastest flows would come later on, with 1997’s Art Of War standing out as an absolute clinic, Bone endure among most commercially successful double-time spitters in the game. In hindsight, 1997 was one of the greatest years in speed-rap history, with Bone’s double album and Twista’s classic Adrenaline Rush hitting shelves. The similarities in style were enough to spark a beef over alleged biting, though it was quickly resolved before any escalation.

LISTEN: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Handle The Vibe

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While Jay-Z was revisiting his “Originators” origins on the Jaz-O assisted “N***a What, N***a Who,” Kansas City’s own Tech N9ne was in the process of building the Strange Music Empire. His first recorded album The Calm Before The Storm clearly drew influence from Bone Thugs’ gothic brand of G-Funk, and while Tech wasn’t speedy as a general rule, he was more than capable of kicking up the acceleration. As his style progressed, Tech began implementing more fast flows into his arsenal, with 2002 Anghellic: Reparation track “Breathe” solidifying his prowess. Absolute Power tracks like “The Industry Is Punks” showcased his ability once more, but Tech wasn’t always associated with chopping like Twista or Bone; that came later, when he sparked the movement on 2006’s “Welcome to the Midwest” and once more on the spiritual successor “Midwest Choppers.” By the time he arranged his piece-de-resistance in “Worldwide Choppers,” a song many consider to be a crowning achievement in double-time spitting, Tech had all but incorporated double-time into his recurring repertoire of flows. 

LISTEN: Tech N9ne – Breathe

Speaking of “Worldwide Choppers,” Busta Rhymes is another integral piece of the puzzle. It began with his scene-stealing introduction on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario,” a classic that instantly slammed Bus-a-Bus into stardom. Though some current-day listeners may have become conditioned to the idea of Busta as a fast-rapper, his early music skewed closer to Ol Dirty Bastard than Twista. Flirting with quick-tempos as his career progressed, Busta’s emergence as not only a speed-rapper but potentially the speed-rapper was the Dr. Dre-produced “Break Ya Neck.” One of the greatest singles of the early millennium, “Break Ya Neck” received such acclaim that Busta doubled down on the chopping. For a while, his verse on Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now” became the pinnacle of modern-day speedom, a Titianesque display of virtuosity. From that point, Busta often brought that high-octane intensity to every guest verse he blessed, the point where many forget he was once the “Dungeon Dragon.” It wouldn’t be surprising for many younger emcees eager to try their hand at chopping to name Busta Rhymes as one of their primary influences. 

LISTEN: Busta Rhymes – Break Ya Neck

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It’s impossible to shine a light on everyone. Since its creation in 1973, hip-hop has brought many slept-on fast rappers into the mix. Ruff Ryders rapper Drag-On set fires on the Swizz-Beatz produced “Down Bottom.” Independent QN5 leader Tonedeff set his sights on the syllable record on Extended Famm’s “Velocity.” Twisted Insane brought chopping and horrorcore together to diabolical results. Given the scope of the competition, it’s almost surreal that Eminem has officially claimed the title as the fastest rapper in the world — again. Especially given his double-time style came, like Busta Rhymes, relatively late in his career. Arguably sparking on “Forever,” Em’s fascination with chopping served as a means of asserting his technical dominance. “Rap God” and Tech N9ne collaboration “Speedom” found him pushing the boundaries even further, with the former’s “supersonic” section securing him the Guinness World Record for speed. Forever in competition with himself, Slim shattered his own record on “Godzilla,” delivering the fastest piece of recorded music ever put on wax. Clocking in at 7.6 words and 11.3 syllables per second, the dazzling conclusion marks the final evolutionary stage of “Chopper Em,” the product of all those pioneers who paved the way. 

LISTEN: Eminem ft Juice WRLD – Godzilla