The Verzuz celebration going down on 17 October is nearly four decades in the making. Though Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One were never personally at odds—KRS did famously beef with the Kane-affiliated Juice Crew—the two emerged from and made their name in the same era. Kane, aka Dark Gable, came up in the ’80s in the prototypical hip-hop superstar mould. He had bars and sex appeal, and combining songs like “Smooth Operator”, “Ain’t No Half-Steppin” and “Put Your Weight on It” with fly clothes and a razor-sharp high-top fade, he was the MC women wanted to date and the one the guys wanted to be. KRS-One, who first emerged as part of the Boogie Down Productions crew with DJ Scott La Rock, was more activist than playboy, categorising his own music as edutainment, releasing songs like “Sound of da Police”, “MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know” and “Step Into a World” that towed the line masterfully. The man also known as “The Teacher” would go on to become something of a guardian of and ambassador for hip-hop culture at large. Kane and KRS needn’t be enemies to face off in another instant classic Verzuz event. When two of the most prolific lyricists of an era get together, it is hip-hop that wins out in the end. Get reacquainted with the music they made by way of the official Big Daddy Kane x KRS-One Cheat Sheet playlist, as curated by Apple Music host Lowkey.