Months after Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s epic rap battle climaxed, Rakim is giving props to both rap legends while also offering his perspective on what it means for the culture. Speaking to Billboard in a recent interview, The God MC explained how, in his mind, the contest showed fans the difference between levels of hip-hop.

“I think that it was important, because these brothers are at the top of the game, and revered hip-hop. You know, a lot of people in that position won’t accept no challenge, because they got too much to lose. So, it was dope that these brothers put the mainstream success down and said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’” Rakim said.

“The battle put a lot of things in perspective — because it showed the difference between real hip-hop and mainstream hip-hop,” he continued. “Younger artists now know that there’s a difference.

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