Now hold up, let's make this official...

This past weekend I got into an interesting conversation.  Somehow the best two man team in Hip-Hop became the topic of discussion.  The keywords being "two man". Before long, the debate went from practical to hilarious.  The main disputes came from whether or not you can count the DJ as part of the group and which borough produced the best twosome.  I decided to revisit this whole chapter now that there are no pool tables, boxing matches or strong drinks to hem up the conversation. So here we go:

EPMD:

Parrish Smith and the Green Eyed Bandit. These dudes were about their business. Literally.  Check the resume: Strictly Business (1988), Unfinished Business (1989), Business As Usual (1990), Business, Never Personal (1992) You get the picture.  The debate got heated when it came to regional aspects since these dudes hail from Brentwood, Long Island.  They may not be a cornerstone in Hip-Hop, but these two definitely hold a significant place. They used funk while many were still sampling a lot of old soul records.  To me, you can't mention a two man group without mentioning these two.  My stance: So What Chu Sayin'?




Mobb Deep:

Since this duo showed up in the "Unsigned Hype" section of the Source Magazine way back when, I knew they were something special.  Many not not remember the single Hit It From the Back on their first release, Juvenile Hell (1993) but I do because my homegirl was in that very low-budget  video.  Shout out to LaShawan.  You did your thing, Babygirl.  Anyway, Prodigy and Havoc always complimented one another lyrically- and it didn't hurt that Hav had production skills on the boards.  I just wish they never went over to G-Unit because they got lost in the storm after that. They rep Queensbridge.  That only added fuel to the fire, by the way.

Run DMC

Aight, here's where it got tricky.  Aww, shit! How's that for relevance?  See, this is where we argued over whether the DJ can be counted.  Of course the DJ is always an instrumental part of the group (I'm on a roll, ya'll) but Run and DMC were the two men that rhymed so does that make it a threesome?  I honestly can't say.  They made this list because they are indeed the pioneers in their own right. I do remember they let Jay  get some burn on the mic for hot second on Pause, tho. (Shaking my head) Go 'head and ponder that one... 


Smif N Wessun

I don't care what you call them.  Tek and Steele.  Cocoa Brovas.  Either way- these cats really rep Bucktown like no other. That wasn't the debate...but it was considering I was in BK having this discussion.  They might really be up there with the greatest duos of all time.  But that's just my opinion.  When I heard them on U Da Man on Black Moon's first LP, I was impressed.  By the time they dropped Bucktown and Let's Git It On (1994) - I was sold on these Brooklyn bwoys. The only two that come close happen to be from the same camp.  Heltah Skeltah is another two man group that gets props over here. PNC One L.O.V.E. all day.

Everyone else are honorable mentions for different reasons.  Brand Nubian doesn't count because they first started out as a four man group if you count DJ Alamo. And then Puba bounced which brings us back to the two-man thing.  I don't know.  By then I was ready to watch the Mayweather fight so I had little argument left in me. But later on it was said that A Tribe Called Quest suffered from the same discrepancy. On the real, I don't know what the hell Jarobi was doing there in the first place. It was like A.E.I.O.U and sometimes...why are you here, again?  Nice & Smooth were mentioned but I honestly think that was for comic relief.  Not that they don't hold their own place in Hip-Hop  They do..on some scale.  Dead Prez, M.O.P. and dare I say it?  Eric B and Rakim got thrown in the mix. That's a tough one. On the strength of The God by himself,  I had a tough time disputing it but he really does stand alone. Sorry Eric B. I know DJ's need love too but Rakim is a lone star.  Always was.  Always will be.  I even went as far to say Ghostface and Raekwon deserve to be counted, but I got shot down because the fact remains they never officially recorded an album together, only collaborated. I was outnumbered. Whateva!  At the end of the day- everyone has their top picks.  This list just acts as a tool to help you narrow down your own Dynamic Duos. What say you?