We at BattleRap.com were saddened to hear of the closing of Harlem’s Black Star Video. An iconic spot, and one of the last remaining real fan-friendly music and DVD stores, it was also home to many unforgettable moments. And by that I mean more than just some incredible finds, like when I, after years of searching, found a copy there of the very rare Rick Rubin directed Run DMC movie Tougher Than Leather. Black Star Video was home to many spectacular rap battles that are (unlike that film) worth watching more than once. Perhaps most famously, Loaded Lux vs. Midwest Miles.
Every battle has the classic lines fans quote, but Loaded Lux vs. Midwest Miles has entire verses rap fans know word-for-word. Much respect to Midwest Miles for coming so far for this showdown, but Lux in 2006 was on a tear few, if any, battle rappers ever reach. As much as Lux’s 2003 showdown with Murda Mook and 2012 return against Calicoe may be more famous, here Lux puts on an absolute clinic of everything a battle rapper can and should be.
The charisma. The wordplay. The flow. The showmanship. There’s really few performances quite like it. All in a space like Black Star Video that allowed a homegrown talent like Loaded Lux to flourish. You can tell it’s his home ice, as he puts on one for the ages. There will never be another Loaded Lux, and there will never be another Black Star Video.
Every Thursday, BattleRap.com posts a classic battle that you should know about, or at least be reminded of occasionally. See them all here.
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